


Lens

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-01-09 19:04:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 35,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12282579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: As a model, you have to do whatever it takes to survive. Can Caitlin Snow manage that or will she lose everything before it's truly begun? Snowbarry. (No powers).





	1. Chapter 1

"Ms. Snow?" Juliette called to her and Caitlin looked at her assistant with a smile.

"Yes, Juliette?" Caitlin asked.

"They're ready for you," Juliette replied and Caitlin nodded her head. Today marked her 365th day of modelling, and she had made waves of progress across the board. When she had started modelling a year ago, she wasn't sure what to expect. A small-town girl, coming to New York to try and live her dream? It seemed too good to be true, yet, here she was, one of the most desired models. She took a sip of her coffee and her final bite of her salad before making her way out of her dressing room and towards the room the photo shoot was happening in.

Once there, she headed over to the director of photography and smiled at him.

"I'm Caitlin Snow," she held her hand out to shake, ever the polite woman. He looked at her hand for a moment before chuckling.

"Mark Smith, darling," he drawled. "And, if you're ever going to survive in this world, you need to be a bit more ruthless."

She frowned at him as she lowered her hand. Ruthless? That's not how she made it as far as she did. She didn't need to be cutthroat to "survive" in this world; her manners are what made her so likeable in the first place. She nodded her head tightly as she made her way in front of the camera. She was already in the fall outfit she was meant to be wearing. She was supposed to be modelling clothes for the fall and winter line and she loved the apparel they picked out for her. A cozy, grey knit sweater and skinny jeans, with a white t-shirt. Much the same of her regular wardrobe she'd wear for her everyday life.

They spent the next half hour taking photos, with the director calling out different poses for her to be in. Once they were finished, she shrugged off the sweater and handed it back to the designer.

"Keep it, it looked good on you," she murmured and Caitlin smiled.

"Thanks, Annie," she replied.

"And don't listen to Mark; there's something refreshing about seeing a model so sweet," Annie added with a quiet laugh and Caitlin grinned once more.

"Thanks," she murmured before making her way to her dressing room and rubbing the makeup off her face, sighing in relief as she did so.

Once she was makeup free, she headed out of her dressing room where she met up with Juliette, who was looking over her itinerary,

"You have a lunch with a Barry Allen tomorrow, Ms. Snow," Juliette said and Caitlin smiled.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times: you can call me Caitlin," Caitlin replied and Juliette smiled embarrassedly.

"Caitlin," she amended and Caitlin laughed gently.

"Who's Barry Allen?" Caitlin asked curiously and Juliette consulted her notes.

"He's a new photographer; very interested in meeting with you to discuss the possible idea of modelling for his winter line," Juliette replied and Caitlin nodded her head.

"What time is lunch?" Caitlin asked as they made their way towards the entrance of the building, after Caitlin refilled her coffee cup.

"At one. He's aiming to sit down with you for a few hours and then you have that party to go to tomorrow night," she added with a wince and Caitlin sighed. Juliette knew that Caitlin wasn't the biggest fan of New York parties; had never been her scene. However, it was for an old friend, one of the first photographers who had used her for her line. It'd be rude to not go. She nodded her head.

"Alright," she murmured as they made their way out of the building and towards Caitlin's car. Her agent, Tim, had tried to convince her to get a driver but Caitlin was determined to hold onto the things she enjoyed for as long as she could and driving was one of those luxuries.

After dropping Juliette off, Caitlin made her way to her apartment in the Upper East side. Once there, she said hello to Robert, her door manager and made her way towards the top floor, where her studio was. After letting herself inside, she was greeted by Pepper, her three-year-old dachshund. She bent down and petted the girl.

"Hello, sweetheart," she murmured as Pepper tried to cover her whole face in kisses; she laughed gently as she scratched her behind the ears. This was her absolute favorite part of her day: coming home to her dog that loved and missed her while she was gone. She went into the kitchen to turn on the tea kettle and then filled Pepper's bowl with food, making sure to give her an extra treat for being gone so long during the day.

Once she had her cup of tea, she went to her room to change into comfortable sweats before making her way back towards her living room with her favorite book, settling into her arm chair. She got lost in the pages until it was a suitable time for dinner. After making herself a sandwich, she took it back into the living room and sat back down, with Pepper sandwiching herself between her legs. As she ate, Caitlin looked over her personal agenda, trying to find out what all she had to do this week. Three more photoshoots, an interview, and two parties. It was going to be a long week. Sighing, she got up and threw away her trash before heading to her bedroom, with Pepper following suit. She climbed into bed, snuggling into her pillows, and read until she passed out due to exhaustion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning dawned bright and early, with a crisp feeling to the morning air. Caitlin headed into her kitchen to get her coffee going and answered emails and texts as she did so. Juliette had sent her a text to remind her about her lunch with Barry Allen and she smiled; that was the only thing on her agenda until the party.

The morning passed by quickly and soon, she found herself getting ready for her lunch meeting. She slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt she had found in a thrift shop when she was in college that she absolutely fell in love with. After making sure she had everything and had applied a light layer of makeup, she left and made her way to her car, after saying hello to Robert.

The drive to the restaurant they were meeting at was easy enough and soon, she was pulling in and parking. She made her way into the restaurant and looked around, spotting a man who looked to be in his late twenties standing up at a table and waving to her. She returned the wave with a smile and made her way over.

"Barry Allen?" Caitlin asked.

"The one and only," he chuckled, which she parroted. He held out her chair for her and she sat down as he made his way back around to his side of the table.

"I'm Caitlin Snow," she said politely as she held out her hand to shake. Unlike Mark Smith, he shook her hand with a gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Snow," he replied.

"Caitlin, please," she said softly as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and he smiled.

"Caitlin," he corrected himself as she looked over the menu. Once they had placed their orders, they got down to business.

"I saw your work in Jane Patterson's line for last spring's collection and absolutely knew I wanted to work with you," Barry said earnestly and Caitlin smiled.

"Thank you," she murmured as she took a sip of her coffee. They talked about his ideas for his photoshoot.

"I want to do a winter theme, with the aim for it to circulate around the holidays," he said and she nodded her head. She loved the holidays, especially in New York, and knew she'd enjoy that photoshoot immensely.

"I was thinking an all-white wardrobe, with hints of red," he carried on.

"I love red," she enthused and he laughed gently at her excitement.

They continued to talk over the course of their meal, scheduling for a meeting the following Thursday, roughly, to talk about more of his ideas with his team.

"I'd love to do it," Caitlin agreed and he smiled.

"That's good, we'd love to have you. There's something incredibly humbling about a model who doesn't know how good she is," he murmured and Caitlin felt her cheeks tint pink.

"Thanks," she said softly. They finished their meal, with Caitlin giving him Juliette's number.

"Just call Juliette, my assistant, when you're ready to set up the next meeting," she said as he paid the bill. He nodded his head and hesitated before giving her his number.

"Here's my number if you think of anything else you'd like to discuss," he added and she looked at the slip of paper he had written his number on before smiling.

"Thank you," she said softly before adding him as a contact into her phone. She texted him from her phone.

"Now you have my number," she said and he smiled. They stood up with one final goodbye before parting ways.

Caitlin had barely made it to her car before her phone pinged with a notification. Looking down, she laughed quietly.

Something incredibly humbling about a model who doesn't know how good she is -Barry Allen

She drove away with a smile on her face, excited about what was to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Caitlin managed to make it through the rest of the day and the party with minimal protesting. The party wasn't even as bad as she was anticipating, having known quite a few people who were in attendance. She congratulated Jennifer on her latest photo shoot, admiring the pictures of the models she had taken before deciding to call it a night. The rest of the week was spent pretty much in the same fashion: modelling, attending parties where she knew the photographer some way or another, and retiring back to her studio where Pepper always greeted her with eager kisses. When the weekend finally rolled around, she relaxed for the first time all week.

It was about midday Saturday when her phone went off with a text message. Debating if she wanted to answer it or not, Caitlin took another sip of her coffee to buy herself some more time. Eventually, she opened the text.

Hey, Caitlin, interested in a cup of coffee? I have somethings I want to discuss before we sit down with my team on Thursday -Barry

Caitlin read the text one more time before typing out a reply, telling him she'd meet him at the coffee shop on 44th street. It was typically one of the more lowkey coffee shops in the city and she wasn't looking to be recognized today. She set her phone aside and went back to sipping her coffee. It was only moments later that he texted her back, telling her that he'd meet her in an hour. She drained the last of her coffee before scratching Pepper behind the ears and getting up. She got changed into a pair of jeans and black t-shirt, adding the grey-knit sweater Annie had given her at the photo shoot earlier during the week. Once she had painted on a little bit of makeup, she snagged her keys off the counter and grabbed her purse that was resting on her loveseat.

"I'll be back later, sweetheart," she cooed at Pepper who just wagged her tail. Caitlin headed out and made her way down to the entrance of her complex, where, per usual, she greeted Robert before leaving. The drive to 44th street was relatively calm, having avoided any main highways. Once there, she walked into the coffee shop at a leisurely pace and, after a quick look around, grabbed a table upon realizing Barry hadn't arrived yet. Her coffee had just been set down in front of her when he came walking in and she waved him over. He grinned at her as he sat down.

"Hello, Caitlin," he greeted and she laughed softly at his enthusiasm.

"Hello, Barry," she greeted him back. He ordered a coffee then as she sipped her double espresso. They chatted lightly about their week while waiting for his coffee to arrive and once it did, he took a long sip before sighing in contentment.

"I always forget how good this coffee shop is," he hummed as he took another sip and she nodded her head.

"It's the best as far as coffee goes, and privacy," she agreed and he looked at her.

"Do you get harassed a lot on the street?" Barry asked in concern and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Sometimes," she admitted and he frowned.

"But not all the time," she hastened to add. He nodded his head and she dropped the subject, curious as to what he wanted to discuss with her.

"So…your ideas?" Caitlin prompted.

"Oh, right!" Barry exclaimed and she chuckled. He pulled out a sketch book and flipped open to a page before sliding it towards her.

"These are some the ideas my artist drew up when I explained what I wanted you to model. I wanted to run them all by you in case there wasn't anything you liked," he said.

"You're giving me a choice?" Caitlin asked in shock. Not once, in her year long career, had any photographer given her the opportunity to choose what she modelled; she had just accepted the clothes handed to her. He laughed.

"Yes, as our model, we want you comfortable," he murmured and she felt touched at his gesture. She smiled as she looked at the drawings, taking in the different sweaters and jackets there were, along with jeans and some slacks. She smiled as her fingers traced over a sweater; it looked like it might be cashmere, red and comfy. She hummed in approval.

"Everything looks so comfortable," she murmured and Barry chuckled.

"That was the idea," he agreed and she glanced up to spot him smiling at her. She returned it before clearing her throat.

"I don't foresee a problem with any of the clothes your artist drew; is she the clothing designer as well?" Caitlin asked and he nodded his head.

"Yes, Amber works as both for me. We're a small team since we're still so new. In fact, you're our most famous model to use to date," he laughed.

"No pressure, then," Caitlin teased and he grinned.

"No pressure," he agreed. She slid the sketch book back towards him and picked up her coffee.

"How long have you been a photographer?" Caitlin asked curiously and Barry chuckled.

"From the moment I was old enough to hold a camera," he admitted and she smiled gently. He told her all about taking extra photography classes in high school and college, going as far as teaching a photography class to underprivileged students. She smiled warmly at him before he cleared his throat.

"Did you always want to be a model?" Barry asked and she thought about it.

"It was just a way to pay for school when I was in college and then it turned into a craft that became a passion," she murmured. She had certainly never foreseen herself being a model; a recognizable one at that, but now that that was her job, she wouldn't change a thing. They continued talking, learning a bit more about each other as they shared their passions for their jobs. Caitlin ordered a second espresso and Barry stared at her.

"Do you have an addiction to caffeine?" Barry asked seriously.

"Shh, don't tell anybody that you've caught on," she whispered and he laughed.

"Good thing we will have lots of coffee during the photoshoot," he remarked and she grinned.

She was feeling very comfortable and warm, the coffee swirling in her belly while the leaves fell from the trees outside. She watched as they did, smiling at memories of raking them up with her father when she was a little girl and both jumping into the huge piles they had made in their yard. Memories of her father always left her feeling melancholy and Barry seemed to notice.

"Are you alright, Caitlin?" Barry asked softly and she blinked as she turned her attention back on him. She smiled and nodded her head, shaking herself free of the thoughts.

"Oh, yes, just thinking about my father," she murmured and perhaps Barry noticed her tone held a note of sadness because he did not per sue the topic. They talked for a bit more as she finished her second cup of coffee and all too soon, they were standing up, getting ready to leave.

"I'll see you on Thursday, yeah?" Barry asked as he looked at her and she smiled.

"Yes," she agreed quietly. They made their way out of the coffee shop and paused right outside the door.

"I'm this way," Caitlin tilted her head to the left and Barry pushed his hands inside his pockets as he bit his lip, looking unsure for a moment.

"Caitlin…could I just text you to catch up with you? Not to talk particularly about the photoshoot?" Barry asked quietly and Caitlin watched in fascination as a rosy red painted itself across his cheeks. Instead of calling him out on it and ruining the tender moment, she nodded her head.

"Sure," she murmured and he smiled.

"I'll be seeing you then," he replied.

"I'll be seeing you."


	3. Chapter 3

Caitlin and Barry texted throughout the week, eventually building up to a few phone calls. The photographer would call her after a long photoshoot and ask her about it, giving words of encouragement when she sounded tired. It was all becoming very routine for her and she had to admit, it was nice to have a friend who didn't want to be her friend for her status alone.

Wednesday evening rolled around and, after a long day on set for the shoot, Caitlin went home to take a quick shower and nap so she could be refreshed for her night shoot. Luckily, this shoot allowed animals so she'd be bringing Pepper with her.

After her shower, she got in comfy clothes and quickly laid down, with Pepper curling up in between her legs. She fell asleep fast and slept hard until her phone ringing woke her up.

"Hello?" Caitlin murmured sleepily.

"Did I wake you up?" Barry's apologetic voice sounded down the line and she smiled at his remorse before glancing at her clock. She had an hour and a half until she had to be on set.

"It's okay, I needed to wake up anyways, I have a job tonight," she replied as she cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear and stretched. A quick look down told her pepper was still snoring softly and she tried not to jostle her too much. She leaned back into her pillows once she was done stretching and smiled.

"So, how have you been since we spoke last three hours ago?" Caitlin laughed quietly, which Barry mirrored.

"Good, I actually had a reason for calling: I'm going to be on set tonight. I got asked to come shadow the photoshoot since the photographer and I know each other," he stated and Caitlin smiled.

"How do you two know each other?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Tony and I went to college together; took a couple of photography classes at the same time. He…he can kind of be a jerk and I just wanted to give a forewarning," Barry said and she felt touched at his concern.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured. They talked for a few more minutes before agreeing to meet a bit early at the shoot. After hanging up, Caitlin changed into a pair of jeans and tank top, adding a sweater to her outfit. Since it was November, the nights in the city had started getting chilly. Pepper eventually peeked her head from out underneath the duvet once she realized her mother wasn't still in bed.

"Hello, baby," Caitlin cooed as she scratched her behind the ears, tail wagging nonstop.

"You get to come to work with me tonight," Caitlin murmured and the dog's ears perked to the side, seemingly understanding what her owner was saying. Caitlin laughed gently before going to apply a bit of makeup. Soon enough, it was a reasonable time to leave and, after securing Pepper in her carrier, Caitlin made her way down to her lobby and out of the building, with a quick wave to Robert.

Once in her car, she began the drive to the location of the photoshoot, singing softly to the music filtering out through her speakers. When she pulled up and parked, Caitlin headed into the building, immediately spotting Barry standing next to the entrance with two cups of coffee.

"Hello, Barry," she smiled and he parroted it before handing her one of the cups.

"Double espresso, just like you like it," he grinned and she laughed, blush tinting her cheeks.

"Thank you," she replied as she shifted Pepper's carrier to rest more comfortably in her arms before taking her coffee. They made their way to Caitlin's dressing room and walked in, with Caitlin shutting the door behind her.

She set the coffee and carrier down before opening the carrier and letting Pepper out.

"Who's this?" Barry asked as he smiled at the dog.

"This is Pepper, my child," she laughed and Barry gently held a hand out to Pepper. She sniffed it before giving it a lick and Barry grinned.

"I think she likes me," he murmured.

"Which is saying something, because she usually doesn't like anybody but me," Caitlin laughed.

"Do you want to hold her?" Caitlin asked and Barry nodded excitedly. She placed Pepper into his arms and the dog snuggled inside of them. They talked for about half an hour before Caitlin was eventually called to the set. She took her coffee with her, with Barry carrying Pepper, and eventually made it to the director.

"Hi, I'm Caitlin Snow," Caitlin grinned as she held out her hand for him to shake. The photographer looked at it before smirking.

"Tony," he replied and Caitlin let her arm hang loosely at her side. What was it with photographers not having any manners?

Tony looked at Barry. "Barry."

"Tony."

Caitlin noticed the somewhat tense atmosphere but she wasn't sure if anybody else did. Clearing her throat, she looked back at Tony.

"Where do you want me, Tony?" Caitlin asked.

"In front of the camera, preferably," he drawled and Caitlin blushed.

"Right, of course," she murmured. She turned to look at the costume designer who had just appeared and handed her a dress to wear.

"Go change, Caitlin, then we'll get you situated," the costume designer, who seemed more personable than Tony, said.

"What's your name?" Caitlin asked kindly.

"Rebecca. We'll also have Andrew, our makeup artist, touch your up makeup but we are aiming for a more natural look so it shouldn't take too long," Rebecca replied and Caitlin nodded before going to get changed. Once she was changed, she met Andrew at the center of the room and he touched her makeup up, making a hum of approval.

"You did your own makeup?" Andrew asked curiously and Caitlin smiled sheepishly.

"Yes," she replied.

"It looks good, almost can't tell you're wearing any; not that you need it, you're absolutely stunning," Andrew commented and Caitlin smiled.

"Thanks," she murmured.

They started the photoshoot, with Tony calling out different poses for her. Despite how hard she tried, he seemed to be getting more and more frustrated.

"Not like that, Caitlin, do something different," Tony called out in annoyance for what felt like the fifth time. Caitlin, who was normally so good at keeping her composure, sighed deeply and gritted her teeth, before trying a different pose.

"Finally," Tony muttered and snapped a few shots. She nearly rolled her eyes in frustration but maintained her composure as best she could.

They broke for break and Caitlin stepped off the platform she was on and made her way towards the crafts table, grabbing a bottle of water.

"You're doing great, Caitlin," Barry commented quietly as he brought Pepper over and she smiled as much as she could.

"It's not like I haven't worked with demanding photographers before," she shrugged as she took a sip of water and Barry laughed.

"Well, I promise that I won't be near as demanding," he assured her and she smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks, Barry," she murmured before jerking her head back to the platform.

"Better go back up there and see if there's any other ways I can annoy Tony," she joked. Barry nodded his head and she headed off, feeling like this photoshoot was more trouble than it was worth. Too bad this would be only the beginning with Tony.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry walked Caitlin back to her car after the photoshoot ended and Pepper was placed safely back inside her carrier. Caitlin paused right before she got into her car and smiled softly at Barry.

"I'm glad you were here tonight," she murmured and Barry returned her grin with a gentle one of his own.

"Me, too, Caitlin," he replied softly.

"You can call me Cait," Caitlin said after a split-second decision.

"Cait," Barry amended with a smile and she found she liked it when he called her by the nickname her father had given her. She played with her keys before biting her lip.

"Do…do you maybe want to get lunch tomorrow after we meet with your team?" Caitlin asked hesitantly.

"Why, Cait, are you asking me out on a date?" Barry teased and Caitlin shifted around on the balls of her feet while she laughed nervously.

'Yes, I guess I am," she said quietly and Barry reached a hesitant hand up before tucking some hair behind her ear.

"I'd love to," he agreed and she smiled.

"Yeah?" Caitlin asked hopefully.

"Yes," he reiterated and she felt her heart beat warmly inside her chest.

"Good, that's good," she smiled and he laughed gently.

"Where were you thinking about for lunch?" Barry asked and she bit her lip as she thought about it.

"How about the pizzeria on 32nd?" Caitlin asked.

"They have the best pizza," Barry hummed. "That sounds great."

Caitlin smiled. "That's settled then."

"I'll let you get home now, so you can finally go to sleep," Barry said kindly and Caitlin ducked her head, bashful smile taking over her face.

"Alright," she murmured before unlocking her car and getting in after getting Pepper's carrier situated on the front seat. After she was sat in her car, she unrolled the window, leaned her arms on the windowsill, and rested her chin atop them as she smiled at Barry.

"What time did you need me there tomorrow morning? Well…later this morning?" Caitlin amended after a quick glance at her watch.

"How about eleven? The meeting should only take about an hour, tops, and then we can go to lunch," he replied and she nodded her head.

"That sounds great," she stated before pulling off the windowsill. She waved goodbye to him before rolling up her window. Just as she was about to pull away, Barry tapped on her window and she rolled it down, again.

"And Caitlin? Sleep well," he murmured before walking away, leaving Caitlin smiling softly before she, too, left for the rest of the night.

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When Caitlin woke three hours later that morning, it was with a smile on her face. She felt rested after her quick nap and began to get ready for her meet up/date with Barry. She picked out a baseball tee from her favorite team back home and a pair of skinny jeans, before applying a bit of make-up. Her phone went off just as she was adding the finishing touches to her outfit.

Opening her texts curiously, she laughed.

Hey, caffeine addict, don't drink too much coffee before you come to our building. My makeup artist, Cisco, has already bought you a double espresso -Barry

Shaking her fondly, Caitlin typed out a reply, telling him she hadn't had any coffee, thank you very much Barry Allen. Then she followed it up with another text telling him she was on her way. She slid her phone in her purse and went to go give Pepper one final kiss and treat.

"Be good for mama, baby," she murmured and the sweet girl licked her face before burrowing under the covers. Caitlin laughed gently before heading out of her studio. Once she was outside and in her car, she loaded the address into her GPS and began to make the journey to Barry's studio. It wasn't a long drive, surprisingly, and she was pulling up about twenty minutes later. After a quick assessment of herself to make sure she still looked reasonably decent, Caitlin made her way out of her car and into the building. She was immediately flagged down by Barry.

"Cait, hey," he greeted her with a quick hug and Caitlin smiled.

"Barry, hello," she murmured. Just then a man who looked close to their age with shoulder length black hair appeared next to Caitlin.

"Cait, meet Cisco Ramon, my makeup artist and right-hand man," Barry introduced them and Caitlin held out her hand for him to shake. Cisco shook it enthusiastically.

"Oh my god, hi. You're Caitlin Snow," Cisco gushed and Caitlin blushed as Barry laughed.

"Easy with the creepy fangirling, Cisco, or you'll scare her off," Barry teased and Cisco laughed as he nodded his head.

"Right, you're right. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Snow," Cisco said after he regained his composure. Caitlin smiled.

"You can call me Caitlin, Cisco," Caitlin said kindly and he grinned.

"Alright, Caitlin," he replied before stepping towards a table that was off to the side a bit and picking up a coffee cup.

"Double espresso, heard it was your favorite," Cisco said as he handed her the cup. She smiled warmly.

"Thanks, Cisco, haven't had any yet," she replied as she took a needed sip.

"You haven't? For shame," Barry laughed and Caitlin swatted his shoulder.

"Oh hush, you," she reprimanded and he ducked his head, teasing smile still tugging at his lips. Once she had a considerable amount of coffee in her system, Barry deemed it time for her to meet the rest of his team.

They made their way over to a tall brunette and he tapped her on the shoulder; she turned around with a smile.

"This is Amber, our artist and costume designer," he introduced and Caitlin smiled at her.

"Hello, Amber," she murmured. "I saw your drawings of what you wanted me to model and I loved them all."

"Thanks, Caitlin," Amber said and her voice held a hint of a southern accent. Also, she was the first person that Caitlin didn't have to instruct to call her by her first name, something that left her happy. After chatting for a few more moments, Barry then directed Caitlin's attention to a blonde woman.

"Hey, Felicity, come here for a moment," he called to her and Felicity made her way over.

"Felicity, meet Caitlin, our model. Caitlin, meet Felicity, our second photographer," Barry said and the two women smiled at each other.

"Hey, Caitlin," Felicity greeted before looking at Barry.

"You were right boss; her photos don't do her justice. Caitlin, you're absolutely gorgeous," Felicity enthused and it was hard to tell who was blushing more, Barry or Caitlin.

"Felicity, I didn't tell you that so you could go running your mouth," Barry groaned and Caitlin laughed slightly.

"I'll take the compliment," she assured him and he grinned embarrassedly.

From there the conversation shifted to what Barry and his team wanted from the photoshoot, as well as what Caitlin wanted. They all seemingly wanted the same thing: a happy holiday shoot that reflected fun times in the city.

"I'm wanting to snap a couple of shots in Central Park, if you're willing to do that," Barry asked and Caitlin frowned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Caitlin asked softly and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

"It'll be during the day and I didn't want you to get hassled in case anybody spotted you.

"Oh," Caitlin trailed off as she bit her lip, thinking about it. Felicity hastened to intervene.

"But my boyfriend, Oliver will be there, and he's basically a body guard without the actual title so he can keep people from harassing you," she added and Caitlin laughed.

"It'll be fine," she assured Barry and he smiled.

"Great!" Barry exclaimed. Afterwards, they continued talking for a bit before breaking up to do separate things.

"Ready for lunch?" Barry asked and Caitlin nodded her head excitedly.

"I've been dreaming about that pizza since I fell asleep," she laughed.

"A model who likes carbs is a fantastic model," Barry agreed and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"I can eat a whole pizza by myself," Caitlin laughed.

"Like I said, a fantastic model," Barry reiterated before they made their way out of the building and towards his car.

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They made it to the pizzeria before the main lunch rush and got a booth in the back.

Once they had decided to split a sausage and pepperoni pizza, the conversation turned to their families.

"I am still in touch with both of my parents quite frequently," Barry said.

"I see them for every holiday and birthday. They live in New Jersey, so it's a fairly decent drive," he added and Caitlin smiled.

"What about your parents?" Barry asked curiously.

"I see my mom every chance I can when there's opportunity to do so in my schedule," Caitlin said immediately. "She lives in Boston so I usually fly out there."

"And…and your father?" Barry asked hesitantly, sensing something might not be right about that situation.

"My father passed two years ago," she murmured and Barry hesitantly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin," he said softly and she smiled as much as she could.

"It's alright, he's no longer fighting an illness he had no control over," she said. He didn't ask for any more details and she didn't offer them; talking about her father still hurt to this day. Their pizza came and they split it in half, each eating slices from there sections.

"What are some of your favorite hobbies?" Barry asked and Caitlin grinned.

"Reading, knitting, and photography, to name a few," she replied instantly.

"You like photography?" Barry asked with a smile and she matched it.

"Yes, but I'm not a very good photographer," she admitted. "I work better in front of the camera but there is something nice about seeing the world through another eye. Something…"

"Safer?" Barry supplied and she smiled.

"Yes, safer," she murmured. They continued talking before the bill came. Caitlin laid down her card before Barry even had a chance to look at it and the waiter walked off.

"I wanted to pay," Barry muttered but Caitlin laughed.

"Ah, but I asked you out, therefore, I pay," she reminded him and Barry rolled his eyes fondly.

"Alright, but next time, I pay," he said.

"There's going to be a next time?" Caitlin asked and he nodded.

"If you want there to be," he said softly and she smiled.

"I do," she assured him.

"Great, there's a fair coming into the city next weekend, would you like to go?" Barry asked and she agreed immediately. She knew of the fair he was talking about, it came every year but she hadn't had the chance to go yet.

"It's a date," she said and he smiled.

"That it is," he agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

Caitlin stayed busy for the rest of the day, following Barry around his building as they came up with ideas for the photoshoot, together. There was something oddly gratifying about being able to have a say in what she wanted to see in the photoshoot and Barry treated her like a person, not an object he was taking pictures of. She was simply happy. As the day ended, Barry pulled her aside, smiling softly.

“Thanks so much for agreeing to meet my team, Cait,” Barry murmured as he traced circles into the back of her palm. She parroted his smile.

“You’re welcome, they’re all very friendly, especially Cisco and Felicity,” she replied. After calming down about the fact that he would get to work with her, Cisco stuck to her side like glue when Caitlin and Barry had returned from lunch. He asked her questions about her life as a model and before modeling. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her, with her reciprocating the feeling. 

She also sensed the start of a strong friendship with Felicity, whom she had a lot of the things in common with. Both girls were shy around anyone outside of their inner circles, and had a passion for life and laughter. Felicity seemed to be as down to earth as Caitlin was, something she admired in her. They spent the day laughing and talking, swapping stories about exes in college and nights where they may have had a bit too much to drink and regretted it the next morning. 

Barry shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked at Caitlin.

“What’s on your agenda for the night, Cait?” Barry asked curiously and she chuckled.

“There’s a bottle of red wine with my name written all over it and the Walking Dead begging me to watch it,” she replied. Just then Cisco walked over and he grinned.

“Did I hear the Walking Dead? Man, I love that show!” Cisco enthused.

“Me too,” Barry hummed in agreement and Caitlin thought it over before smiling.

“Did you two want to watch it with me?” Caitlin asked and they nodded.

“Only if you’re comfortable with that,” Barry hastened to add and she smiled, touched at his concern for her comfortableness.

“I am,” she promised earnestly. They packed up their things and filed out of the building, with a quick goodbye to the rest of the team before making their way to their cars. Caitlin paused right before she got in hers’ and looked at the two guys.

“My studio is about twenty minutes away from here, so just follow me. I’ll drive slow enough to not lose you guys,” she said and they agreed, then they were off. 

Caitlin stuck true to her word and drove slow enough so Barry and Cisco could keep up with her. Soon enough, they were pulling up to her complex and she parked, before getting out. Cisco whistled lowly as he took in the building.

“Fancy,” he muttered and she blushed before laughing.

“It’s home,” she murmured before heading into the building, introducing Barry and Cisco to Robert as they passed him.

“I can’t believe you have a doorman,” Cisco said in awe and Caitlin laughed gently.

“Nicest guy you’ll ever meet,” she said warmly as they rode up in the elevator to her floor. She unlocked her door and stepped aside to let Barry and Cisco enter first, shutting the door softly after she entered behind them. They took in her apartment, seemingly admiring the photos that hung around her walls. Barry took to a large one of a little girl and grown man jumping into piles of red and orange leaves.

“Is this you as a little girl, Cait?” Barry asked curiously and she walked over to it with a soft smile.

“Yeah, my father and myself during the fall in Boston,” she murmured as she studied the picture. Her mother had taken it and, after her father’s funeral, had the photo blown up into a larger print and given it to her as a gift. To date, it was her favorite photo she owned.

“You look absolutely adorable,” Cisco laughed as he smiled at the toothy grin Caitlin was giving to the camera. There was a gap in her teeth, a signal that she had recently lost a tooth.

“Thanks,” Caitlin smiled as she shrugged out of her sweater. Just then, Pepper came running forward, jumping up and down, begging for attention.

“Hello, sweet girl,” Caitlin murmured as she bent down and petted her dog. 

Tail wagging ferociously, Pepper looked at the other people in the apartment and, after recognizing him, bolted over to Barry to get some attention from him, too. Barry smiled as he bent down and picked up Pepper, cuddling her close.

“Hey, girl,” he said as he nuzzled into her neck, laughing as she covered every inch of his face in kisses. She looked at Cisco next, taking him in for a moment, before wagging her tail.

“Think she likes Cisco, too,” Barry said and Caitlin nodded as he handed Pepper to Cisco. Cisco excitedly took her and she kissed him, too. After Pepper had received all the attention she wanted, she was placed back down on the ground by Cisco and the three of them made their way into Caitlin’s kitchen.

“I have wine and beer, help yourself,” Caitlin said kindly as she tilted her head to the fridge. She got a wine glass down for herself after Barry and Cisco grabbed a beer each and brought out the wine, too. 

Caitlin poured herself a glass and sipped it slowly, relishing in the taste of it. 

They made their way back to her living room where they all sat around on the comfy couch and chairs as Caitlin turned on her DVR and played the latest episodes of the Walking Dead she had missed. They got caught up in the show and refilling their drinks as they saw fit. Soon enough, they were laughing with each other as they talked, show being forgotten.

“I can’t believe he had the nerve to ask for your number!” Cisco said, aghast.

“I know! After he spilled his beer all over me. It wasn’t the greatest party I went to in college,” Caitlin laughed as she took another sip of her wine. She was feeling warm and comfortable, enjoying her time with her friends.

“You’re out of wine,” Cisco commented. Caitlin looked at her glass.

“Would you look at that? So, I am,” she laughed. Cisco took it from her, devious smile on his face.

“Can’t have that,” he said and she shook her head fondly as he went to go refill it.

“I think he’s trying to get me a little drunk,” Caitlin said to Barry, who was still sipping his beer.

“He likes to do that with his friends,” he admitted sheepishly and Caitlin smiled gently.

“Well, I don’t have a shoot until tomorrow night, so one night won’t kill me,” she said wisely.

Cisco returned with her glass a moment later and handed it to her.

“Drink up,” he enthused and she took another sip., but was careful to make sure she sipped slowly. She knew if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up with a headache and she didn’t want to deal with that tonight. 

They continued to laugh and talk animatedly, sharing stories from their lives before their careers. Soon enough, Caitlin was tipsy and didn’t really know what she was laughing at anymore.

“I think you’ve reached your limit,” Barry said with a chuckle and plucked the wine glass from her hands; she let him do so without any objections. 

“Oops,” she laughed. Cisco shook his head with a smile.

“I think I’m the one who should be feeling guilty, I kept supplying the wine,” he muttered but Caitlin smiled gently.

“It’s fine, Cisco,” she replied. She leaned back onto her couch, enjoying the fuzzy feeling circling her brain. The wine was sitting in her stomach pleasantly, and she was feeling less tense than she had been at the beginning of the week when she had so many priorities to meet. 

She glanced at her watch and was startled to realize it was three in the morning. Considering she had only received three hours of sleep the night before, she knew she needed to get to bed.

“Well, gentlemen, I think I should go to sleep. You two are more than welcome to stay here tonight; I’ve got some blankets and you guys can take the couch and chair.

Cisco nodded his head as his eyes closed. “Mm. Okay.”

Caitlin laughed as she went to go get them blankets, tripping slightly over her feet.

“I’ll help you,” Barry offered and placed his hand at the small of her back, helping to steady her. Once she had retrieved the blankets and pillows, she covered Cisco with one, before settling a pillow underneath his head; he barely jostled in his sleep. Caitlin smiled. 

Barry had disappeared and she looked for him before spotting him coming out of the kitchen with a glass.

“Some water, Cait,” he murmured and she thanked him before taking it.

“Why don’t you go on to bed? I’ll set up the couch,” he added and she nodded.

“Good night, Barry,” she murmured.

“Sleep well, sweetheart.”


	6. Chapter 6

When Caitlin woke the next morning, it was to a pounding headache.

"God," she groaned as the sunlight filtered in passed her blinds. She grasped her head and waited for the room to stop spinning. Once she was sure she wasn't going to be making a trip to the bathroom, she got out of her bed and stumbled her way into her living room, where Barry and Cisco were already awake.

"Morning, Cait," Barry murmured and she smiled as much she could.

"Coffee, on the hunt for coffee," she muttered as she tripped her way into the kitchen. Once she got to the coffee pot, she filled it up with water and turned it on. It wasn't long before the delicious fragrance of coffee was wafting through her kitchen. In little to no time, she had poured herself a cup and made her way back to the living room, where she sat down a little less than gracefully onto the couch.

"Fresh coffee in the kitchen," she muttered as she took a needed sip of her hot beverage. She hummed happily as the taste exploded against her taste buds, knowing she'd be feeling a bit better soon.

Barry laughed at her gently.

"Feeling alright, sweetheart?" Barry asked her softly and she nodded her head, eyes fluttering closed.

"Let's just say there's a reason I normally don't drink an entire bottle of wine in one sitting," she replied and he chuckled.

"Sorry about that, again," Cisco murmured and she shrugged a shoulder.

"It's alright, Cisco, I had fun," she soothed and the makeup artist grinned.

"Me too," he replied and she nodded her head, quickly stopping once it made her stomach turn. She flopped her head down onto Barry's shoulder and sighed.

"I haven't had a hangover like this since college," she groaned and Barry laughed.

"You did drink an entire bottle of wine, sweetheart," he reminded her and she shushed him.

"Don't remind me, Barry Allen, don't you dare," she reprimanded him and he laughed again before nodding his head.

"Anything you say, Cait," he mused and she rolled her eyes fondly.

"What's on your guy's agenda for the day?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Cisco and I are going to go over some ideas for the photoshoot we have planned with you and then I'm planning our date to the carnival tomorrow night," Barry replied and she smiled happily.

"I think I'll just stick with water at the carnival," she mused and he chuckled.

"That's probably for the best," he agreed.

"What does your day look like, Cait?" Cisco asked.

"I've got a photoshoot tonight but that's not until ten. So, after you guys leave, I'll be drowning myself in the shower and then sleeping all day long," she replied and he nodded his head.

They stayed for a bit longer before deciding it was time to leave.

"Call me if you need anything and text me intermittently if you can during the shoot," Barry murmured as he paused right outside of her doorway. She nodded her head.

"I will," she replied softly. He brushed his lips across her forehead.

"And take some Tylenol," he reminded her and she laughed gently at his fussing.

"I'll be alright, Barry," she said softly. After a quick look at her, he and Cisco made their way away from her apartment and down her hallway. Soon, they were out of her line of sight altogether. She shut her door softly as Pepper came bounding up to her.

"Your mother was very silly last night," she murmured as she petted her dog. Pepper tilted her head to the side, tail wagging furiously.

"But, why do I get the feeling you already knew that?" Caitlin laughed and the dog just licked her face.

After she did, in fact, drown herself in the shower for a half hour, Caitlin made her way out of her bathroom and put on comfortable clothes, taking a couple of Tylenol with a sip of her coffee. After eating a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast, Caitlin retired to her bed for the duration of the day, snuggling under her duvet. Pepper climbed between her legs and settled down for the long sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Caitlin woke several hours later, she was feeling a lot better. Sighing in contentment, she scratched Pepper behind the ears as the dog stretched before getting up out of bed, and making her way into her kitchen, where she brewed another pot of coffee. As a model, Caitlin was used to keeping interesting hours, so coffee had become her best friend over the course of the past year. She had to drink it a lot during college when she had essays, finals, and projects to turn in, but it wasn't until she became a model did she truly learn to appreciate the liquid.

Once she had her cup, Caitlin began to get ready for her shoot. She slipped into a pair of skinny jeans and an old band t-shirt she had from an indie group she saw in college with her ex. The boyfriend didn't last for more than a month, but she fell in love with the band and saw them every chance she got. After applying a bit of makeup, she turned to Pepper.

"Be good, sweetheart," she murmured. Pepper kissed her cheek before crawling back under the covers. Thinking jealously of how she'd like to be under them herself, Caitlin turned on her heel, snagged her cup of coffee she poured into her to go cup and a book, then locked up and headed to her car. It wasn't long before she made it the field the photoshoot was taking place in. She smiled at Jeremiah, the photographer.

"Hey, Jere," she said and he kissed her cheek.

"Caitlin, stunning as usual," he said and she laughed.

"I don't know about that; this look kind of screams: I was in bed all day, recovering from a hangover," she murmured and it was his turn to laugh.

"I hope you were celebrating something important, Cait," he teased and she thought about Barry and Cisco briefly.

"I was. The start of a good friendships and maybe something more," she replied coyly and he raised his eyebrows but she just sipped her coffee, smirk firmly intact.

"And you're not going to give me anymore gossip I can tell," he said and she just shook her head.

"Alright, then," he muttered and she laughed. He sent her off to go get changed and to consult with the makeup artist, Brian. Once she met him back at the main part of the field, he smiled.

"You look radiant, Cait," he said and she blushed.

"Thanks, Jere," she murmured. "Where do you want me?"

"To the left," he jerked his head towards the left of him, indicating where she should situate herself. After she got ready, he set about setting up the cameras before taking shots, calling out different poses she should be in. About six hours later, Jeremiah called it a night and smiled at her.

"You did great, Cait," he called and she grinned before walking over to him.

"How's the husband?" Caitlin asked conversationally and Jeremiah laughed.

"Mark's great," he murmured before going into a detailed analysis of their last three dates. She listened fondly as he spoke of his husband. There was such a gentleness to his voice whenever he talked about him, it reminded Caitlin of times when she would talk about certain people she had dated. True, there wasn't anyone she could talk about that way now, but it was still nice to reminisce about her own loves of the past. When he gave her the all clear to go home, Caitlin made her way to her car, replying to one final text from Barry before driving home and collapsing on her bed.

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Caitlin woke up about three hours later, still a bit wired from all the coffee she had drank previously. She sat up and stretched, before looking at her phone.

Hello, beautiful, just a reminder to say I'll be picking you up at eight -Barry

She grinned as she replied to his text, telling him she'd be ready. She wasn't sure what to expect on the date; all she knew was that she was beyond excited to see what would develop out of this potential relationship.


	7. Chapter 7

Caitlin spent most of the day getting ready for her date. She wasn't sure why there were mammoth like butterflies beating their wings against the confinement of her ribcage, but her hands shook as she applied a light layer of make-up. She took a needed sip of coffee and looked at herself in the mirror.

"It's just Barry, Cait, get a grip. You can do this," she encouraged herself quietly. Just then, there was a soft knock that echoed through her apartment and she looked up at the sound of it.

"Coming!" Caitlin called loud enough so the person on the other side of her door could hear her. Taking one more look at her outfit, (skinny jeans and a flowery, flowing top, her converse, and a beanie), Caitlin made her way out of her room and towards her front door. Peeking out of the peephole, she let a wide smile split across her face as she opened the door.

"Barry, hey," she murmured as she opened her door further and let him in.

"Hello, Cait, you look beautiful," he smiled as he presented her with pink daisies. She smiled softly as she took the flowers out of his hands and smelt their delicious fragrance.

"They're beautiful, thanks Barry," she said softly as she made her way towards her kitchen. She pulled out a vase from underneath her sink and placed the flowers in it, filling it up with water as she did so. Once the flowers were resting in the vase comfortably, she placed the vase on her kitchen table and jerked her head towards her coffee pot.

"Cup of coffee before we go?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"No doubt you've already had one…or three," Barry teased and she blushed faintly.

"Well, I wouldn't be me if I hadn't," she laughed back and he grinned.

"A cup of coffee sounds great, Cait," he murmured and she nodded her head, trying to busy herself with pouring a cup for him but her hands were shaking so much she was afraid she was going to drop the damn pot. He seemed to notice because he was next to her in a moment, placing his hand gently over hers' and stilling her.

"Hey, hey, what's got you so nervous, sweetheart?" Barry asked gently as he took the pot out of her hand and poured his own cup. Caitlin laughed embarrassedly.

"I'm just really nervous for some reason," she said quietly and Barry raised his eyebrow as he took a sip of coffee.

"Of our date?" Barry asked and she nodded her head.

"Oh, Cait, we don't have to go if you don't want to. We can just hang out here," he replied soothingly.

"No, I want to go!" Caitlin cried and then lowered her volume.

"I do want to go, I do. It's just…" Caitlin trailed off, uncertain of how to voice her concerns.

"It's just what, baby?" Barry asked concernedly and she sighed.

"I'm not sure how to do this," she whispered, waving a hand between the two of them. "I haven't gone out with a guy more than once since high school. It's mainly been one night out here and there, and usually, the guys are jerks who just want me for my fame."

Barry narrowed his eyes at that admission and placed his coffee cup down, before gently holding onto her wrists.

"Okay, first things first: those guys are assholes. I would never go on dates with you just because of your fame," he stated firmly and that eased some of the knots in her stomach.

"Secondly, I'm just as nervous, I just hide it better," he winked and Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

"We'll go at whatever pace you're comfortable with, baby," he concluded softly and she looked at him.

"Really?" Caitlin asked hopefully.

"Really," Barry confirmed, tone leaving no room for doubt. She thought over his words for a few more moments while he traced soothing circles into her wrists, before smiling.

"Let's go, then," she murmured and he matched her grin.

They finished their coffee, laughing and talking as they did so, and soon Caitlin's anxieties melted away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they made it to the carnival half an hour later, Caitlin took in all the sights it had to offer.

"There's a Ferris-wheel!" Caitlin squealed and Barry laughed, interlocking their fingers and heading towards it. They got in line after he bought their tickets and he looked at her.

"Tell me something about yourself that would surprise other people," he murmured and she thought about it.

"I'm an avid sports fan and like indie music," she mused and he looked at her in surprise.

"What's your favorite sport and who's your favorite team?" Barry asked curiously and she chuckled.

"Baseball and the Yankees," she replied.

"New York girl through and through, huh?" Barry asked and she ran a hand over the back of her neck.

"Yeah," she admitted sheepishly. She bit her lip, debating if she wanted to elaborate and then decided she would.

"Before he died, my father and I would come see a few games in New York every couple of years. It would just be the two of us and he instilled my passion for baseball and my love for the Yankees inside of me," she admitted and Barry watched her in fascination.

"When he passed, I couldn't bring myself to go to another game but I do watch them on television every chance I get and it's almost as good," she added with a shrug and he smiled in sympathy.

"We'll just have to go to a game, then," he murmured and she nodded her head.

"I'd like that," she whispered. It was their turn to get into a cart and, once they sat down and the door had been locked securely, Barry looked back at her.

"Indie music?" Barry asked and she laughed.

"Yeah, an ex of mine got me into that genre," she shrugged and he matched her smile gently.

"I'm more of a jazz fan myself, but you'll have to introduce me to your kind of music, as well," he murmured as he held her hand. The ride started and Caitlin watched as the park grew smaller and smaller as they rose higher. She took in all the people who looked like ants this high up and then looked at all the twinkling lights from the other rides and attractions.

"It's beautiful," she murmured. When they got to the very top, Caitlin gasped.

"You can see the whole city!" Caitlin stated in wonderment as she looked at the skyline. This was her absolute favorite part of the city; being able to see it enough that you could see all the activities in New York City, especially at night. Barry nodded his head.

"The view is pretty spectacular," he agreed and Caitlin turned to see him smiling warmly at her. She blushed.

"Cait?" Barry asked.

"Hmm?"

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" Barry whispered and she nodded her head. He leaned in and gently placed his hands on either side of her face; she nuzzled into the touch.

"You're beautiful, Caitlin Snow," he murmured before brushing his lips across hers'. She felt the kiss in her toes and smiled as they kissed once, twice, three times before breaking apart. She pressed her forehead against his' and smiled softly.

"I haven't had a kiss that good in a long time," she murmured, trying to catch her breath. He chuckled.

"I could say the same," he agreed quietly. Nothing more needed to be said as they continued the ride, enjoying the company of each other, and the view they had from this high up in the air.


	8. Chapter 8

Barry and Caitlin spent the rest of the night enjoying the carnival and all it had to offer. Caitlin tried and failed to contain her laughter as Barry proved himself to be significantly miserable at any of the games the carnival had to offer.

"Laugh one more time, Cait, and you can kiss that big panda you've had your eye on goodbye," he threatened as he swung his arm back and let the ball loose, sending it way past the designated mark. She couldn't help it. She laughed.

"Here, let me try," she murmured as she paid the five dollars for the three balls. She took a steadying breath, wound her arm back, and let the ball fly, hitting the target on the first try.

"Winner! Pretty lady in front is a winner!" The man who was working the game called out and Caitlin winced at his not so subtle attempt at flirting but grinned when he placed the panda in her arms. She looked at Barry who was shaking his head amusedly.

"Did your father teach you how to throw a ball, champ?" Barry asked as they made their way away from the games and towards the vendors that sold food. He bought them a hot dog apiece and a cotton candy to share. She nodded her head as she bit into her hot dog.

"Yes. When I was little," she murmured, getting lost in the memories of spending Saturday mornings in the park, winding balls back with her little arms and her dad running all over the field, catching them. She laughed softly as she came back to the present moment.

"He taught me everything, really. How to throw a ball, throw a right hook, catch a fish," she said softly and Barry grinned at her.

"He sounded like a cool guy," he murmured. She swallowed around the lump in her throat as she nodded.

"He was the best," she agreed quietly. She took another bite of her hotdog as Barry looked at her. There was something…tender about his expression, something she couldn't quite make out. She wasn't sure if she wanted to, anyway, instead storing away the image to come back to at a different time. The finished their food before Barry glanced at his watch.

"Well, the carnival will be closing soon," he murmured and Caitlin nodded her head, hating to know the night was ending but also knowing she had had an amazing night.

"Only one more thing to do," she smirked and Barry looked at her inquisitively.

"Take pictures!" Caitlin enthused before jerking her head towards a photo booth and dragging Barry towards it. They sat down inside of it and Caitlin quickly deposited the correct amount of change, before taking their allotted pictures. The first two were silly, the third was one where Barry was kissing her cheek and she had her eyes closed, grin stretching across her lips, and the final, they were kissing, simply enjoying each other's company. When the dispenser dispensed two copies of the photos, she looked at them before giving one to Barry with a grin.

"A token, of an amazing night," she murmured and he brushed his lips across her forehead.

"Let's go, sweetheart," he said quietly.

"Hmm."

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By the time they made it back to her apartment, Caitlin could barely keep her eyes open. She unlocked her door and kicked her shoes off haphazardly, while Barry chuckled quietly.

"'M tired," Caitlin mumbled.

"I can see that, sweetheart," Barry murmured and next thing she knew, he had scooped her into his arms and walked her to her bed. She sat down and looked at him.

"Turn around while I change," she said and he nodded his head and complied. She slipped out of her jeans and into a pair of yoga pants, quickly changing into a long-sleeved t-shirt before climbing under her duvet.

"Okay, you can turn back now," she murmured sleepily, rubbing her eyes before snuggling deeper into her pillows. Pepper peeked her head out from underneath the covers and wagged her tail fiercely before licking Barry's hand and diving back out of sight again.

"I had a really fun time tonight, Barry," Caitlin said softly as he traced his thumb over her forehead soothingly; she leaned into the touch.

"So, did I, Cait," he murmured.

"Hey, Barry? Will you stay until I fall asleep?" Caitlin asked softly, wondering why she suddenly felt vulnerable and like a small child. Maybe it was because she always asked her dad to stay and tell one more bedtime story, maybe it was because she had talked about her dad for the first time in a long time; whatever the reason, Caitlin found herself biting her lip, waiting anxiously for his answer.

Barry nodded his head.

"Yeah, of course. Of course, I'll stay, sweetheart," he murmured and sat down next to her on the bed.

"Close your eyes, Cait," he said softly and she did, letting his voice wash over her. He began singing softly and she was surprised to find out he could sing. She meant to ask him about why she never knew that but the next thing she was aware of was waking up to a quiet room, sunlight filtering in through the window shades. Stretching, she glanced around for her phone, spotting an unopened text.

Opening it curiously, she smiled softly.

Last night was the most fun I've had in a long time. Thanks for letting me in -Barry;

Caitlin wasn't sure what had shifted in their relationship, but last night, something had shifted. As she typed out a response to him, telling him he was welcome and she had a lot of fun, Caitlin smiled.

Yes. Something had shifted. She was excited to see what would happen from here on out.


	9. Chapter 9

Later that day, Robert called up to Caitlin's apartment.

"Delivery for you, Ms. Snow," came Robert's voice over the intercom and she shook her head fondly. If she had told him once, she had told him a thousand times: it was okay to call her Caitlin.

She pressed her intercom button.

"Thanks Robert, I'll be down in a minute," she called back down before shrugging on her sweater and converse. She then headed down to the main lobby, nodding her head in hello to the few people she spotted out and about in her complex. Once she made it to the lobby, she walked over to Robert.

"Ah, Ms. Snow!" Robert smiled and Caitlin laughed.

"Please, Robert, call me Caitlin," she reminded him and he dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"My apologies Ms.- Caitlin," Robert corrected himself through his apology and she smiled gently.

"Thank you," Caitlin murmured as she looked around for the package. Robert caught her curious eye and pulled out a manila envelope that had been stashed underneath the countertop.

"I had Rick hold it here while I called up to you." Robert explained and Caitlin knew Robert was doing his job thoroughly as doorman if he was the one receiving and delivering the packages for Rick, the complex manager. She smiled graciously.

"Thanks, Robert," she said and took the envelope out of his hands.

"Where's that boyfriend of yours'?" Robert asked conversationally and Caitlin blushed but smiled.

"We're not putting a title to what we our yet but he's working on a location today," she replied, thinking of the texts they had shared intermittently and how Barry had said he'd be busy until about nine that night. She waved to Robert before making her way to the elevator and headed back to her studio.

Once Caitlin made it back inside her apartment and had locked the door, she set the envelope on her coffee table and went to go pour her a glass of wine. She figured whatever the package contained could wait for a few moments. After making sure Pepper had enough food in her bowl and her wine glass was filled accordingly, Caitlin walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch, pulling the envelope towards her. After opening it and pulling out the contents, she froze. Inside had been photos…of her. Her doing every day activities like yoga at her local yoga studio and walking around the city, to hanging out with Barry and even getting ready in her apartment. Hands shaking, she rifled through all the photos before a note fell out.

Beautiful photos for a beautiful woman, doing beautiful things -W

Caitlin didn't have any idea what W stood for but all she knew was the fact that her hands were shaking so much that she nearly dropped her phone in her attempt to call Barry. When she finally succeeded at punching the numbers in, she exhaled a shaky breath and waited for him to pick up. After the third ring, her wish was granted.

"Hey, you, we're on break right now so you called at the per-"

"Barry, has anyone sent you any packages?" Caitlin interrupted, voice shaking.

"Cait, what's wrong? What do you mean by 'packages'?" Barry demanded in a worried tone and she bit her lip as she looked at the photos in her hands.

"Can you come by tonight? It'll be easier to show you then," Caitlin murmured, trying hard not to shake with fright.

"Of course, I'll come," Barry said in a soft voice and it immediately soothed her frayed nerves.

"Alright," Caitlin whispered before clicking off the phone. She took a sip of wine to try and help her relax somewhat but she was still on edge. Who had the opportunity to take these photos? Who would want to? The questions swirled around in her mind, leaving her unclear and discombobulated. She wasn't sure how long she had sat on her couch, staring at the pictures and then off into space, but it was a knock that broke her out of her trance. Startled, she glanced up before setting her wine glass down and hurrying to the door. After glancing out of the peephole briefly, she opened it quickly and sighed in relief.

"Barry," she breathed out and he crushed her into his chest.

"Hi, baby, hi," he murmured as he rubbed her back. After a few moments of collecting herself, she pulled back and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry I asked you to come over, you must be exhausted," she said in a small voice but he shook his head.

"You sounded so scared on the phone sweetheart, I'd never not come," he soothed and she nodded her head before making sure her door was locked. Then jerked her head towards the living room.

"The…it's in here," she murmured as she made her way to the living room and sat down on the couch, nodding her head towards the photos. She watched as Barry eyed them warily as he eased himself down onto the couch. He rifled through them, eyes growing more narrowed with each passing picture. He then came across the note and his eyes turned black due to his anger.

"Have you called the police, yet?" Barry demanded between clenched teeth and Caitlin shook her head.

"I'm not sure what they can do. It'd be pretty pointless to issue a restraining order against someone if they don't know who they're looking for," she muttered.

Barry sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," he promised vehemently.

Caitlin shook her head quickly. "It's not me I'm worried about."

Barry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Look, Barry, you're in some of the pictures too," Caitlin mumbled. "Maybe…maybe we should take a step back from each other."

The idea left Caitlin feeling dejected but she couldn't see any other way out of this mess.

Barry's frown intensified and he placed both hands against her cheeks and cradled them.

"Listen to me, sweetheart," Barry said firmly. "I'm not walking away from you because I'm in a couple of this creeps' photos. I'm going to stay right by your side and fight this battle head on. Don't try to push me away because you think you need to protect me."

Caitlin searched his eyes before ducking her head, whispering, "sorry".

"Nothing to be sorry for," Barry quickly assured with a kiss to the corner of her mouth. Caitlin tucked her head underneath his chin, trying to hide herself inside of him. His arms wrapped automatically around her and he kept her tucked close.

"We'll handle this together, alright, baby?" Barry murmured and she nodded her head.

"Together."

Author's note: And cue plot! XOXO


	10. Chapter 10

Caitlin worked tirelessly that week. Going to sleep at odd hours, sleeping for maybe an hour or two, and downing coffee like it was water. She knew her messed up sleeping pattern would catch up to her, something Barry tried to gently reinforce.

"Babe, you need to take a break and breath," Barry murmured to her as she was standing at the location they were on. Ever since seeing the photos, he had made it his mission to be at every photoshoot with her, no matter how demanding they were. She looked at him.

"I can't Barry, I have to reshoot this outfit four more times before I can finally call it a night," she muttered, forcing her tired eyes to stay open by drinking her third cup of coffee in less than an hour. Barry sighed as he placed his palm gently against her cheek and she nuzzled into the touch.

"James will understand if you need to call it an early night; he likes to make sure his models are taking care of themselves," Barry reminded her softly and she thought about it. On the one hand, coffee wasn't keeping her awake but on the other, she could drink another two cups and push through until sunrise, then sleep until the photo gallery her and Barry were supposed to go to the next night. Sighing, she shook her head and went and refilled her cup.

"Four more shots and then I'm done," she said quietly and Barry studied her for a long moment, fingers tracing gently over the bags she knew were circling her eyes. Eventually, he nodded his head.

"Four more, baby," he whispered and Caitlin kissed him softly before walking back to the set. James took the reshoots and it lasted for about an hour, and, finally. Caitlin was ready to go home. She sighed as she went to go change into her jeans and t-shirt, slipping her sweater on over her top. After slipping her feet back into her converse, she met Barry back at the front of the studio, said a quick goodbye to James, and they headed out.

"Let me have your keys, sweetheart," Barry stilled her with a hand to her wrist and she blinked.

"My keys? What for?" Caitlin asked in confusion and he smiled slightly.

"You're dead on your feet and I don't want to risk you driving. Since we rode together, we don't have a car to pick up tomorrow and you can sleep on the way back to your apartment," he murmured and she nodded her head, after debating for a moment.

"Alright," she whispered and passed him her keys. Once they got situated in her car, Barry looked at her, thumbing his finger across her cheekbone.

"Sleep, alright, baby?" Barry requested and, too tired to disagree, she simply closed her eyes and surrendered to her tiredness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A soft nudge brought Caitlin back to consciousness.

"Hmm?"

"We're here baby. C'mon, let's get you into your studio and in bed," Barry murmured and she nodded her head as she blinked her eyes open, trying to rid them of any sleep. They climbed out of her car and made their way into her complex.

Robert wasn't on shift but there was the other doorman who worked the night shift and Caitlin knew him, too, by name.

"Hey, Dave," Caitlin smiled sleepily.

"Ah, Ms. Snow! A package came for you while you were away. Would you like to sign for it now or later?" Dave asked and Caitlin hesitated, torn between the desire to go to bed but also curious as to what this package was and if it was anything like the last one she received. Nodding her head, she followed Dave to the front desk and signed for the package before accepting it and going back to Barry, who was frowning.

"If that's in any relation to the last package you received, I want you to call the police, alright, Caitlin?" Barry asked lowly and she agreed.

Once they made it up to her studio and she had given Pepper all the attention she wanted, Caitlin kicked off her shoes and made her way to her couch before opening the package with a shaking hand. Inside were pictures but they weren't recent ones. They were –

"Barry, these are from my modeling days in college. When I first started modeling," Caitlin said quietly, realization dawning on her.

"Who's ever been sending me the photos has been watching my career since the beginning," she deduced. She looked for a note but this time, there was none.

"No note but each picture has a little W in the corner. I don't know what it stands for," Caitlin sighed and Barry looked at the pictures before running a hand over his face.

"Cait, I think you have a stalker."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After she finally convinced him that she'd be alright in her own bedroom, Barry retired to the couch, determined to be near her just in case. She stayed up in bed for a long time, no matter how tired she was initially. She thought over all the people she knew, trying to deduce if any of them had stalking mannerisms. Coming up empty, she too decided to call it a night, but knew what little rest she'd get would be poor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Caitlin woke to her eyes burning. She knew it was the lack of sleep finally taking its toll on her but instead of trying to get anymore sleep, she got up when she heard movement in her living room. Throwing on her sweater over her tank top and yoga pants, Caitlin made her way out into the living room where Barry was, again, rifling through the photos. He looked up as she entered the room and frowned.

"I was hoping you'd still be asleep, sweetheart," he murmured but she shook her head as she went to go make a pot of coffee. Once it was brewed, she called Barry into the kitchen so he could grab a cup, as well.

"What are you thinking?" Caitlin asked him as they sipped their coffees.

"That I want you to call the police," he replied seriously.

"Barry, I don't think -," she began but he interrupted her.

"Don't argue with me on this, Cait. Please," he said softly and she took in his expression. It was worried with a hint of anger but Caitlin knew he wasn't angry at her. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"I'll call them this morning," she murmured, determined to get some control back over her life.


	11. Chapter 11

The day of Barry's photo shoot had finally arrived and Caitlin found herself excited as she was getting ready. He told her to wear something comfortable, which she basically always did. As she slid into a pair of loose fitting skinny jeans and an old jersey from her college football team, Caitlin was answering texts from Barry. He couldn't be there with her this morning at her apartment while she got ready; he had to make sure his set was the way he needed it. However, that didn't mean he wanted her by herself so had sent over Cisco.

"Cait, is it okay to come in or are you still changing?" Cisco called and she smiled at his thoughtfulness as she pulled the jersey down over her frame so it rested comfortably.

"You can come in Cisco," she called back and the make-up artist made his way into her room, smiling softly at her.

"Barry just called and said he's ready whenever you are," Cisco said and Caitlin nodded her head as she touched up her mascara. Cisco shook his head fondly.

"You know I'll do that once we're on set. Not that you need any make-up," Cisco stated and Caitlin laughed gently.

"Thanks, Cisco," she murmured before swiveling on her foot and facing him.

"You ready?" Cisco asked and she nodded her head as they made their way into her living room, where she picked up Pepper and put her into her carrier.

"You get to come to work today with mama," she cooed at the dog as she shut the door. Barry had called her the night before, asking, no begging was the better word, if she'd bring Pepper. Cisco grinned.

"I love your dog, Cait," he enthused and Caitlin laughed.

"Yeah, me too," she replied and they made their way out of her apartment after she grabbed her sweater and beanie, making sure to double check her locks. Cisco knew about the photos she had received in her mail and his eyes swept the hallway as they walked to the elevator. Soon, they were going down to the main floor and exiting the elevator, making their way to Cisco's car. He had promised to drive, making sure to state that he'd give her a ride back home later that evening, with her offering her couch to him in return.

They spent the ride to Central Park laughing and talking. Caitlin felt at ease with Cisco far faster than she thought she would. She also thought she'd need Barry to be there to feel comfortable with him but the make-up artist had made his way into her heart and soon the two of them found themselves forming a tight friendship, something she reveled in.

Soon enough, they were pulling up to the outskirts of the park and Cisco was parking on the street next to the entrance. Barry had wanted the photoshoot to take place in the heart of the park so they had a bit of a walk. When they were about half way to their destination, Caitlin was spotted by a couple of girls who squealed when they saw her.

"Oh god, you're Caitlin Snow," one of them gushed and she laughed gently as she nodded her head.

"That I am," she replied and Cisco smiled fondly as he took in the scene.

"You're the model I aspire to be like," the girl said and Caitlin felt pride swirl up inside of her.

"Can-can you sign my t-shirt?" The girl asked and Caitlin nodded her head as she dug around in her purse for a marker. It wasn't uncommon to be stopped and asked for an autograph by an aspiring model and since they lived in New York, it happened often, so she always carried a sharpie with her just in case it happened. After signing the article of clothing, she smiled at the girl.

"What's your name?" Caitlin asked and the girl returned her smile.

"Emma," she replied.

"Well, Emma, always go after your dreams and don't let anybody try to sway you. Who knows, one day we may be working together," Caitlin said wisely and the girl grinned before Cisco and Caitlin bade the two friends farewell and continued on their way.

"Okay, you just made her life," Cisco stated and Caitlin laughed.

"I remember what it's like to be them," Caitlin replied knowingly, reminiscing about her college days and how she was a young, unnoticed model. "I wish there had been a model I looked up to at that age."

Cisco nodded his head and they reached the location. Barry spotted Caitlin before she found him and she soon found herself in a hug.

"Hey, you," Barry greeted her warmly, with her reciprocating the greeting. They kissed briefly before Felicity made her way over.

"Hey, Cait, there's someone I want you to meet," Felicity said, jerking her head towards a tall guy who was standing off to the side. Caitlin nodded her head and followed her friend over to him.

"Are you Oliver?" Caitlin asked politely as she held a hand to him and he shook it with a smile.

"That's correct and you're Caitlin?' Oliver asked and Caitlin smiled.

"That I am," she replied and he laughed. Felicity smiled at them.

"Oliver is my boyfriend and basically a body guard for our team. He's going to be on set just in case people get curious," Felicity supplied and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Thanks, Oliver," she said appreciatively and he smiled.

"Of course, anything for a friend of Felicity's," he replied as he smiled warmly at Felicity. She rolled her eyes fondly.

"Yeah, well, if you need us, we'll be with Barry," she said before dragging Caitlin over to Barry.

"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her for the second time.

"Hey, yourself," she murmured before glancing around at the set.

"What do you want me to do?" Caitlin asked, slipping into her model mindset. Barry may be her boyfriend, but today he was her employer and she needed to treat him as such.

"Well for starters, you can treat me like I'm still your boyfriend and not your boss," he laughed and she grinned guiltily.

"Oops," she mouthed and he shook his head fondly, brushing his lips across her forehead before landing them at the corner of her mouth.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he assured her and she nodded her head before he glanced at Cisco who nodded his head, as well.

"You and Cisco can do your make-up," Barry decided. "But Cisco? Make sure it's natural. I don't want to take away from her beauty."

Caitlin blushed faintly, making the two guys chuckle before Cisco jerked his head to a spot about ten feet away from them.

"C'mon, Cait, make-up chair is over here," he said and she followed him to the chair and sat down, letting him work his magic. It wasn't too much longer that he got her attention again.

"And, finished," he said, waving his arm with flourish. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled.

"Looks perfect, Cisco. You can't even tell I'm wearing any," she complimented him generously.

"That was the plan," he winked. "Let's get back to Barry."

They made their way over to the photographer and Caitlin tapped him lightly on the arm.

"Where do you want me next?" Caitlin asked.

"Head on over to Amber and she can get you changed and then just hang back and get comfortable until we get going, alright, baby?" Barry asked of her and she smiled.

"Alright," she murmured.

After Amber got her dressed in the red cashmere sweater she had originally saw on the first meeting with Barry, she did as she was asked and hung back, sipping coffee and talking to Cisco. It wasn't too long before Barry called to her.

"Alright, Cait, you ready?" Barry asked and she nodded her head.

"Ready when you are," she replied and he grinned.

"C'mon up, then," he said and she made her way to the front of the shoot, waiting for Barry to position her.

"Alright, just relax and we'll get started," he said and she smiled. She listened as Barry called out different poses for her to be in, snapping shots here and there as she turned. She could tell he was in his element and loved every second of watching him in fascination. She could see why photography was a craft he had perfected; he was, by far, the best photographer she had worked with yet.

When they broke about an hour later for break, Caitlin stepped to the side where the crafts table was and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"You're doing great, baby," Barry murmured as he wrapped his arms around her west. She smiled and nestled back into them.

"I have a great photographer I'm working with," she replied and he laughed softly.

"Thanks," he murmured. They stood there for a couple of minutes before people began wandering up to them.

"Is this a photoshoot?" One of them asked and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Yes," she replied politely.

"Well, you're certainly the model; you're gorgeous," a man replied and she smiled.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He hesitated, looking torn about something.

"Do…do you want to exchange numbers? Go grab a cup of coffee sometime?" He asked and Caitlin felt Barry's arms stiffen around her. Before either one of them could reply, Oliver walked up to him.

"Are you blind, buddy? Do you not see this guy wrapping his arms around her?" Oliver challenged and the guy dropped his eyes to where Barry's arms were wrapped around her.

"Oh, I guess not," he mumbled and Oliver shook his head with a sigh.

"Well, now you have. And I suggest you leave; this is a closed shoot," he added and the man nodded.

"Alright." With that, he turned and walked away and Caitlin let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright, baby?" Barry asked in concern and she nodded her and turned her head, kissing him on the cheek.

"Fine," she murmured. "That's not the first time that's happened, nor do I think it'll be the last."

Barry sighed.

"Well, I'm sorry about that," he murmured and she shrugged.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," she muttered and she was. It was no fun to have to see other people hitting on your partner, no matter how famous they were. Barry shook his head.

"It's alright," he replied softly and she smiled. She took another sip of her coffee as he unwound his arms from her waist.

"C'mon, let's get back to it," he tilted his head towards the set and she smiled, enjoying the idea of spending all day with him and her new friends.

Author's note: More to come with the photo shoot XOXO


	12. Chapter 12

The rest of the photo shoot passed by with very little interfering from other people. That was mainly thanks to Oliver's uncanny ability to spot trouble before it happened. Therefore, he could keep harassers away from Caitlin while Barry snapped shot after shot of her. She was laughing through a lot of them and he was laughing with her. She was simply happy and in the moment, not thinking about anything that had happened or bothered her; worries and troubles far from mind. At one point, Pepper broke free of Cisco's arms and came running up to the set, begging for attention. Barry quickly signaled that he wanted some photos of Pepper with her mom, so Caitlin quickly picked her up, cuddling her dog close.

By the time night fell, Caitlin was exhausted but happy with a job well done. She knew Barry was even happier. Caitlin hopped off the stage Barry had set up and made her way towards him, wrapping her sweater around herself tightly.

"Hey, you," Barry murmured and he kissed her forehead; she leaned into the touch.

"Thanks for today, Barry," she murmured.

"You were perfect, Cait, absolutely perfect," he praised her and she flushed with pride. It was one thing to make other photographers happy but when it was a photographer she was dating? Nothing compared that feeling. Smiling, she jerked her head to the left of her where a tent was.

"I'm going to go change. Do you want to come back to my place? Have a glass of wine, maybe?" Caitlin asked.

"You don't even have to ask me that, sweetheart," Barry said softly before kissing her gently and then sending her on her way to go change while he packed up their set with the aid of the other members of his team.

Caitlin smiled at Oliver who stood directly outside of her tent before ducking inside.

"No one will bother you, Cait," he called out softly.

"Thanks, Ollie," she replied as she quickly changed. Once she was back in her jeans and t-shirt, she slipped her sweater back on over herself, sliding into her converse, and then making her way out of the tent altogether. She made her way to Barry, with Oliver scanning the perimeter of the park, making sure no late-night walkers or joggers were around. Barry looked up as she got closer to him and wrapped his arm around her.

"Are you ready?" Caitlin asked softly and he nodded his head as he brushed his lips across her forehead.

"Yeah, baby," he murmured before glancing at Cisco and Felicity.

"We're heading out for the night, thanks for all your help, guys," he told them gratefully and his team members smiled at him.

"Thanks for a fun shoot, Barry," Felicity enthused as she tucked herself into Oliver's side.

"You were stunning today, Cait, per usual," Cisco complimented her and she laughed softly as she ducked her head.

"Thanks, Cisco. And thanks for giving me a ride this morning but I'll just head back with Barry," she told him politely and Cisco pouted.

"Thought we were better friends than that, Cait, but all you want me for is my free rides," he sighed and Caitlin rolled her eyes amusedly.

"You're so dramatic, Mr. Ramon," she teased through a laugh and he just shook his head with a smile before hugging her gently.

"Get some rest tonight, Cait," he murmured and she nodded her head as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I will, thanks," she replied softly before pulling apart. She tucked herself back into Barry's side as the bid everyone else goodbye before heading to his car. Once they were inside, Caitlin sighed happily.

"Today was just what I needed," she murmured and Barry smiled gently at her.

"You were absolutely perfect, baby," he replied and she smiled.

"Thanks, Barry. Now let's get out of here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time they pulled up to Caitlin's complex, Barry and Caitlin were laughing softly and smiling, fingers intertwined with one another's. They headed towards the elevator and then up to her floor, with Pepper tucked snuggly underneath Caitlin's arm, in her carrier. Once they reached her door, Caitlin spotted it open slightly and frowned.

"Huh, I could've sworn I shut and locked it this morning when we left," she muttered as she stared at her ajar door.

"Hey, Cait? Wait out here a moment, alright, baby?" Barry asked softly and she nodded her head as she eyed her door warily. What was on the other side? Barry headed inside her apartment and she heard him whistle lowly while she waited on pins and needles to go inside and see for herself. After about five minutes of impatient waiting, Barry popped his head around the door.

"Alright, come in. But, be prepared sweetheart: it's not very pretty," Barry warned her. Feeling a leaden like feeling drop inside of her stomach and rest uncomfortably there, Caitlin nodded her head and edged herself inside. Her jaw dropped the moment she got a good look at her apartment.

It was completely trashed. Pictures were hanging loosely on the walls, her couch was torn apart, her lamp had been knocked over and laid, smashed to bits, on the ground. She stared around, trying to remember how to breathe before looking dazedly at Barry.

"I think I need to call the cops," she muttered and he nodded his head firmly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After the cops showed up and took pictures of the scene, sweeping over anything with a little brush, hoping to pick up fingerprints, they finally left. However, not before saying they'd leave a detail outside of her apartment.

Caitlin shut the door softly as the last officer was shown out before turning to look at Barry with wide eyes.

"C'mere, sweetheart," he murmured as he held is arms open and she went and tucked herself inside of them. He rubbed soothing circles onto her back.

"I want to stay here for the next few nights until they catch this guy, alright?" Barry murmured and she thought about arguing him, insisting that she could look after herself. However, if she was being honest, it was nice to know that he wanted to look after her. She nodded her head a moment later.

"Alright," she replied. After standing in their embrace for a few more moments, they set about cleaning up her living room, getting it back to its original state. Some of her pictures were torn beyond repair but she was relieved to find the one of her and her father jumping in the leaves had been left alone. She let a couple of tears slip out upon that realization. Barry wound his arm around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"There, good as new," he whispered and she smiled as much as she could as she took in her restored living room.

"For now," she murmured.

She didn't know who was harassing her or what they wanted but she had a sinking feeling the photos had just been the beginning of it. Not knowing which way she should turn, she let Barry guide her to the couch and ease her down on it gently, tucking herself into his side as he wrapped his arm around her. They didn't speak much over the course of the night, just stayed up and sat with each other; that was enough to ease the frightened beating of her heart and that was good enough for her.


	13. Chapter 13

Caitlin and Barry didn't get much sleep, laying on her couch. She didn't want to be far from him, not feeling completely safe in her apartment anymore. She hated her stalker for taking away that sense of safety from her; taking that sense of protection from her. Sighing, she nestled herself further inside of his arms, trying to get any sleep but it was pointless; sleep was completely elusive at this point.

"Coffee?" Barry murmured and she glanced up to find him looking at her through worried eyes. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"Coffee," she muttered and eased herself off his chest and made her way to the kitchen, with him following wordlessly behind her. When she got the coffee pot turned on and going, she turned around and faced Barry, who immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head.

"You look tired, baby," he murmured and she nodded before pulling back.

"I could say the same to you," she replied softly, fingers tracing the bags underneath his eyes.

"Know what the remedy for that is?" Barry asked as the coffee pot beeped, signaling the coffee.

"Coffee," she laughed and they each poured themselves a cup before retiring to her couch, after making sure Pepper had enough food in her bowl and had been given all the attention she deemed necessary.

Once they were situated on her couch again, Caitlin let herself get consumed with thoughts. What if her stalker finally succeeded in doing what he wanted to do? What if he found her? What if he found her when she was with Barry? What if Barry got hu –

"Penny for your thoughts, sweetheart?" Barry's soft voice interrupted her downward spiral of depression and she glanced up at him, shaking herself clear of the agonizing what if's.

"Just thinking…" she trailed off.

"About?" Barry asked gently and she sighed, biting her lip before deciding to be honest.

"What if my stalker finds me? Even worse. What if he finds you with me? I-I can't stand the t-thought of something h-happening to y-you and…" Caitlin was working herself up into a frenzy and only stopped when Barry cradled her cheeks.

"I want you to take a deep breath and listen to me very carefully, Caitlin Snow. Alright, baby?" Barry whispered and she nodded her head as she turned her round eyes on him.

"Nothing, and I mean nothing is going to happen to you and I don't want you, not even for a second, to worry about the what if's. Do you hear me?" Barry asked lowly, and she searched his eyes. After she saw no trace of insincerity in them, she exhaled a shaky breath and nodded her head,

"I hear you," she murmured and he brush his lips across her forehead, cheeks, corner of her lips, before ending on her lips.

"Thank you," he breathed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that afternoon found Cisco rapidly knocking on her door.

She opened it with a furrow brow.

"I came as soon as I got the message," he exclaimed as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug. She hugged him back in confusion.

"Uh, I didn't message you, though," she muttered as she pulled back.

"I did," Barry replied as he looked at Cisco, who nodded his head in return.

"What am I missing?" Caitlin demanded, brow furrowed even more.

"I think it's a good idea that one of us is with you at all times, baby," Barry murmured. Just as she was about to tell him she was perfectly fine looking after herself, thank you very much, Cisco opened his mouth.

"I'm with Barry on this one, Cait," he piped up. "Neither one of us want to see anything bad happen to you."

"Guys, I appreciate the effort you both are taking to make sure I'm safe but I've got to keep living my life," she reminded them with a frown and they sighed, simultaneously.

"Baby, no one is doubting your ability at looking after yourself or disregarding the fact that your life needs to keep going; we just think it wouldn't hurt to have an extra friend with you," Barry murmured and she studied his face before sighing.

"Alright," she replied, knowing deep down they were only doing this to look out for her and to keep her safe.

"Thank you," Barry breathed out, with Cisco following up with his own gratefulness.

The make-up artist stayed with them a bit longer, going over the dynamics of the week with them.

"I'll be on set three days this week but Cisco will be able to keep you company until I get off at night," Barry stated and Caitlin nodded. As much as she wanted to vehemently protest the idea of being baby sat, even she had to admit it made the days seem a little less daunting if she had someone with her.

"Then on the days I'm not on set, I'll be with you," he added.

"Obviously," Cisco interrupted with a chuckle.

"Obviously," Caitlin reiterated with a fond wink, causing Barry to chuckle as well.

They continued to talk for a few more minutes before Cisco had to head out and Barry and Caitlin were left alone again.

By the time Cisco left, night had already fallen and Caitlin was feeling her sleepless night catching up with her.

"Why don't you go get changed into something comfortable and I'll make an epic bed on the couch?" Barry asked her, kissing her jaw gently.

"Oh, epic, hmm?" Caitlin asked sleepily and he laughed.

"Yes, epic," he murmured and she nodded her head, going to get changed.

When she got back, she made her way to the couch and burrowed herself under the covers, with Barry slipping in behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. She rested her head on his chest and sighed in contentment.

"I promise you, Cait, nothing will happen to you," he whispered lowly in her ear and she nodded her head.

"I know," she mumbled tiredly. He kissed her one last time on the forehead.

"Sleep now, my darling," were the last words she heard before she slipped off into a peaceful slumber, anxieties far from mind.

Author's note: Just a filler chapter tonight! I'm sick and not really able to get my thoughts aligned with where I need them to be for this story right now. Please bare-with me.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's note: I'm still writing, even though I'm sick. Do I care? Nah, man, I got this. Enjoy.

Caitlin spent her first day under Cisco's supervision. Barry had apologetically left early that morning, with an extra hug and kiss goodbye. Cisco had already arrived at her apartment before he left, something Caitlin was simultaneously happy and annoyed with. On the one hand, it was nice to know she wouldn't have to be alone in case whoever was stalking her decided to come for a visit; on the other, she was still a bit annoyed at the fact that she wasn't able to look after herself. She had been living in New York for well over a year; she had some skills.

Shutting her door softly after Barry left, she turned and looked at Cisco who was grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Caitlin asked, partly in curiosity, partly in alarm by just how wide his grin was.

"I'm going to cook you breakfast," Cisco enthused and Caitlin just raised any eyebrow.

"Do you even know how to cook, Cisco?" Caitlin asked but the make-up artist just grinned more brightly and steered her to the couch by her shoulders.

"Leave it to me," he exclaimed before ducking into her kitchen. Not even ten minutes later did her smoke alarm go off. Groaning, she got up and made her way towards her kitchen to see just how much damage had been done. It was going to be a long day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After she got the alarm dismantled and they had ordered brunch in from her favorite café, Cisco and Caitlin sat on her couch, talking about the past week.

"I'm so sorry this is happening to you, Cait," Cisco murmured and she shrugged a shoulder.

"Price you might have to pay if you want to live in this industry," Caitlin replied nonchalantly but Cisco wasn't having it.

"Don't give me that bull. I know you don't believe people deserve to have their privacy invaded, not even celebrities," he stated.

"Well, no -." she began but Cisco held up a hand, halting her.

"No 'buts' Cait," he said gently. "You're just as every bit entitled to your privacy as much as the next model is. You wouldn't dream of harassing someone the way you've been harassed."

Caitlin bit her lip as she thought about his words. They were true; she wouldn't think anyone deserved that. So why did she try to make an excuse for when someone did it to her? Sighing, she tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded her head.

"You're right, I don't think I deserve this," she murmured and Cisco squeezed her knee.

"We'll catch him, Cait, I promise you," Cisco said firmly and she let the promise wash over her anxieties and soothe her battered heart. She smiled as much as she could.

"Thank you, Cisco," she whispered and the makeup artist brushed his lips across her forehead.

"Anytime, Cait, you know that," he said softly. They went back to eating their brunch quietly before another topic approached.

"How am I going to protect Barry?" Caitlin whispered a few minutes later and Cisco looked at her in surprise.

"Oh honey, I think he's asking himself the same question about you," he murmured gently.

"I'm not worried about myself. If I had never met Barry, he wouldn't have been dragged into this mess. I don't want him getting hurt because of me. Or any of you for that matter. I'm not worth that," she muttered.

"Caitlin Snow, you listen to me," Cisco stated in an eerily calm voice and she blinked up at him.

"That is the last time I want to hear you say you're not worth that, do you understand me?" Cisco demanded in a serious voice.

"But…" Caitlin trailed off as Cisco shook his head.

"No 'buts'," he reiterated firmly. "You're as much part of our family as I am. Do you know what it means to have a family?"

"Yes, people who love you," Caitlin muttered.

"And who would do anything, and I mean anything, to protect their own. We're family, Caitlin, we're not going to let anything bad happen to you. If something happens to one member of the family, the whole unit feels the fallout. So, believe me when I say this: we look after our own," Cisco stated, tone leaving no room for argument or discussion. Staring at him for a moment longer, Caitlin eased herself forward and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"What's that for, Cait?" Cisco asked in surprise and she just smiled warmly at him.

"For being you, Cisco," she sighed happily and the makeup artist grinned.

"Well, you are my best friend," he replied matter of fact.

"I thought Barry was?" Caitlin crooked her eyebrow, teasing smile tugging at her lips.

"Nah, we'll let him think that but you've knocked him out of his best friend throne," the artist smirked and Caitlin laughed.

"You're a mess, Cisco," she teased warmly and the artist just grinned.

"In all seriousness, you know I'm here for you, right Cait?" Cisco asked a moment later, sobering up.

She bit her lip as she mulled over his words, before a smile stretched across her lips.

"I know," she replied simply and he returned her grin.

They finished their brunch with no more conversation then, just enjoying each other's company Throughout the day, they went over her agenda for the week, coming up with people who could be with her on set at her locations and who would be with her at her apartment. Barry would be staying nights with her but Cisco would be the main one who would be on sets with her. Oliver even told Cisco to say he was available if he couldn't do it.

"So, really Cait, you've got a lot of people who are willing to look out for you," Cisco said softly and she smiled as much as she could. She hadn't really had true friends in her college days; not like Cisco and the rest of Barry's team. It left her a little discombobulated to be surrounded be so many people who cared about her but it also seemed to stitch back the wounds that had appeared on her heart the night her father died. Sighing happily, she nodded her head.

"Thanks, Cisco, for everything," she murmured. He squeezed her hand.

"Anytime, Cait, anytime."

Author's note II: Just a Cisco and Caitlin friendship chapter this time. Don't worry, more Snowbarry soon! XOXO


	15. Chapter 15

When Barry returned, Cisco took that as his cue to leave.

"Remember Cait: you're family and family protects one another," he reminded her as he hugged her and she nodded her head.

"I know, Cisco, thanks," she murmured as they pulled apart. He clapped Barry on the back with a quick "look after her", and then he was gone. Sighing softly, Caitlin shut and locked her front door before letting herself be pulled gently into her boyfriend's arms.

"Hmm, hi, I missed you," she murmured as he placed a soft kiss to her temple and sighed happily into her ear.

"I missed you too, baby. What did you and Cisco get up to today? Must've been a good day if he's inducted you into the family," Barry said quietly and she smiled softly.

"Yes, he did. We were talking about how I was worried about protecting you and I may have said something idiotic that set him off on a rant about families," Caitlin laughed and Barry crooked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh yeah? Care to share? We'll get to the fact that you don't need to be worried about me in a minute, but right now, I want to know what you said that was so 'idiotic'," he replied and Caitlin grinned guiltily, ducking her head.

"I…may have said I wasn't worth the trouble you guys were taking to keep me safe," she muttered, face buried in his chest. She felt the vibrations of his sigh and knew he was livid without even having to look at him.

"Would I be in less trouble if I apologized and meant it?" Caitlin whispered and this time, she felt the vibrations of his laughter.

"C'mere, sweetheart," he murmured and she allowed him to walk her to the couch, easing down and pulling her on his lap. She tucked her head underneath his chin as he wrapped his arms around her and she sighed in contentment. She was safe.

"I want to know why you don't think you're worth the trouble, Cait?" Barry asked lowly and she bit her lip, weighing her words and choosing them with care.

"Up until about a month ago, you didn't know me. If you hadn't wanted me to model for you, you would have never met me and been dragged into this. I'm not saying I wouldn't have had a creepy stalker but I am saying you wouldn't have to look after me. I'm used to looking after myself; I don't want you getting hurt," she muttered.

"Oh, sweetheart," Barry breathed and squeezed her gently.

"I'm glad I met you a month ago. If I hadn't, I would have this void in my life I wouldn't know how to fill. It's like you saved me, Cait. And now it's my turn to save you," he murmured.

"Saved you from what?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Isolation," he said quietly and she nodded her head; she understood that all too well.

"You saved me from that, too, Barry. That and loneliness," she replied and he kissed her temple again.

"So how about you let me help you with your stalker and quit worrying about wanting to keep me safe, baby?" Barry asked gently and she mulled over his words for a few moments. He was anything if not patient, and he just waited for her to reply as he traced random patterns against her arms. Finally, she nodded her head.

"Alright," she murmured and she meant it. She'd let him help.

He sighed.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he said equally as quiet and nothing more was said as they sat there, enjoying the company of one another.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was eventually time for bed and Barry looked at Caitlin.

"Why don't you sleep in a bed, sweetheart? No one is getting into the apartment without coming through your living room first. I'll hear them," he promised her and she bit her lip, staring at the couch and then her bedroom door.

"Only if you sleep in the bed with me," she said after a moment's hesitation and his eyed went wide.

"We don't have to do that, Cait. I didn't suggest that with that being the goal I had in mind," he stated with conviction but she simply smiled and interlocked their fingers.

"I know," she replied simply. "But the couch isn't nearly as comfortable as the bed is and you deserve to rest well, too."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Are you sure?"

"Positive, sweetheart. And, besides, the detail is still outside so technically, I don't think anyone is getting in here without them knowing. Sleep in a bed," she said and he nodded his head, small smile tugging at his lips.

"Alright."

Once they made it to her bedroom, he turned around to give her a bit of privacy to change and then turned back when she was nestled under the covers. He quickly slipped in after her and pulled her to where she was resting her head on his chest, arms wrapped around him. He began carding his fingers through her hair and she sighed happily.

After a few more moments of peaceful silence, Barry spoke up. "Have you told your mom?"

"About my stalker or us?" Caitlin asked and he chuckled.

"Both, I suppose," he replied.

"Well, I told my mom I was dating someone and she was absolutely ecstatic. Says she can't wait to meet you," Caitlin said with a laugh.

"And I can't wait to meet her," Barry promised softly, fingers still carding through her hair.

"About my stalker, no, not yet. I know I need to, though. The media is going to have a field day once it gets released and I want my mom to hear it from me. I just don't want to cause her unnecessary stress," Caitlin murmured, brow furrowed.

"Well, Oliver will work on keeping it out of the media for as long as possible – give you a chance to really be able to tell your mom everything," Barry said softly and Caitlin nodded her head.

"That sounds good," she whispered, eyes already drifting closed.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart, I'll be here when you wake up," Barry said quietly and, too tired to fight the pull any longer, Caitlin nodded her head and felt herself free falling into a peaceful slumber.


	16. Chapter 16

Caitlin awoke to a warm body pressed against hers' and smiled softly as memories of the previous evening came back to her. She laughed gently as Barry nestled his face into her hair, before kissing her shoulder softly.

"Morning, baby," he murmured and she rolled over to where she was facing him and smiled.

"Morning, sweetheart," she greeted him with a gentle kiss.

"How'd you sleep?" Barry asked as he traced her underneath her eyes with his thumb.

"Good, all the way through the night," she replied and he smiled, seemingly happy with that answer.

"How about you?" Caitlin asked as she bit her lip, worried about him.

"Perfectly well," he murmured and she let the sincerity in his voice fill inside her and warm every part of her being. She smiled.

They sat there for a bit longer, just enjoying each other's company, before Pepper peered her head out from underneath the covers.

"Morning, baby," Caitlin cooed as Pepper eased herself between Barry and her, demanding the be the center of attention. Caitlin chuckled as she scratched behind Pepper's ears.

"Breakfast?" Caitlin asked Barry softly a few minutes later and he nodded.

"I'll turn on the coffee," he replied and they were up and headed into the kitchen a moment later. Caitlin smiled softly to herself at how domesticated all of this felt. It was as if she could see herself doing this for many mornings to come with Barry. Perhaps years.

They worked seamlessly in the kitchen, making breakfast and sipping coffee. Jokes ran between them and Caitlin couldn't remember ever laughing so hard in her life. It felt right; natural. Once they plated up their breakfast, they sat down at her table and continued talking.

"What's on your agenda for the day?" Caitlin asked and Barry swallowed his mouthful of food before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I've got a photo shoot until about ten tonight, and then I'll be back over here," he murmured and Caitlin bit her lip.

"If you're too tired and would rather go back ho – "Caitlin began but he cut her off.

"Don't even think about it, Cait. I'm staying with you indefinitely. Or at least until they catch this guy," Barry reiterated firmly and she nodded her head, dropping the subject.

"What about you?" Barry asked a moment later.

"Well, Cisco and I are going shopping and then out to dinner tonight," she remarked, having finalized her plans with the makeup artist the day before. Barry grinned.

"He loves shopping as much as the next guy, so I'm sure he'll have fun," Barry laughed and Caitlin shook her head fondly.

"To make up for having to spend hours while I look through thrift shops, I'm letting him pick where we eat," she grinned guiltily and Barry nodded knowingly.

"Wise choice, babe," he replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

True to his word, Cisco and Caitlin frequented different thrift shops all along the city. Cisco did his best with what he was supposed to do and helped give constructive criticism to each outfit she tried on. By the end of the day, she had three new pairs of skinny jeans, four band t-shirts, and a couple of old blazers she fell in love with.

"The restaurant I want to go to is just down the street, actually," Cisco remarked and Caitlin grinned.

"Why don't you go get us a table and I'll put these in the car?" Caitlin asked and he bit his lip, torn.

"I don't know…" he trailed off as he glanced between her and the restaurant down at the end of the street. She sighed.

"Cisco, it's fine," she emphasized. "We need a table and the car is just right over there. I'll be back by your side in no time."

Biting his lip anxiously for one more moment, he eventually nodded his head.

"Just, hurry, alright?" Cisco asked and she smiled.

"I will."

Cisco made his way down to the end of the street while Caitlin headed in the opposite direction, towards the car. Once there, she quickly unlocked it and put the packages inside the backseat, before locking it again. She felt someone behind her and grew annoyed.

"Seriously, Cisco, I can manage – "

"Stop talking," a voice whispered and Caitlin froze. That wasn't Cisco. Turning around slowly, she spotted a man in a mask, holding a gun towards her chest. She swallowed nervously as sweat began to pool on her palms.

"T-take my purse," she muttered pulling if off her shoulder and handing it to him. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't want your purse, Caitlin Snow," he replied.

"How do you know my name?" Caitlin whispered, hoping the fear she felt wouldn't betray itself in her voice.

"My boss told me. It's he who wants to see you. We're going to walk to my car now," the man replied and waved the gun to the side. She nodded her head, thinking fast. If she ran, he'd shoot. That was a risk she was willing to take; getting in his car, however, was not. She looked at him before elbowing him in the stomach, making him bend over for a moment. That moment was all she needed and she took off running. He wasn't disarmed for long and caught up with her. The only good thing about being able to run meant she could scream and had been screaming as loudly as she could. She hoped someone, anyone, had heard her. By the time he caught up to her, he hit her on the head with the gun and she went down. Blinking out the pain, she tried to focus her eyes on him.

"Why are you doing this?" Caitlin asked, willing herself to not pass out.

"Told you, boss wants you, not me," he muttered and kicked her once in the ribs. She recoiled and breathed through the pain.

"Hey, get the hell away from her!" Cisco's voice shouted through the air and she heard his thundering footsteps following not long after. She wanted to tell him to stay back, that the man had a gun, but she thought she might have a concussion, given the rapidness of her consciousness fading.

The man looked up, swore lowly, and looked back at her.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Caitlin Snow," he threatened before taking off in the opposition direction. Cisco skidded to a stop next to her mere seconds later and dropped to his knees.

"Cait? Caitlin, are you alright?" Cisco asked in a panicked voice and she tried to nod her head but couldn't.

"We need to get you to the hospital, you're bleeding quite a bit on the back of your head," he muttered as he pushed her matted hair back.

"No, not the hospital. Media will be all over that. Take me to my regular doctor, she'll know what to do," Caitlin groaned, trying to stay awake.

"Hey, don't go to sleep, Cait, alright?" Cisco asked as he shook her shoulder with one hand and pulled his phone out with his other.

"I'm calling Barry, telling him to meet us there. What intersection is your office at?" Cisco asked quickly and Caitlin thought about.

"35th and Central," she replied. He nodded his head and relayed the information to Barry, who had already answered. Then, too tired to fight it anymore, she lost the grip to consciousness she was holding onto and fell forward into the blackness, welcoming it like an old friend.


	17. Chapter 17

It wasn't long before Caitlin felt a gentle pressure against her fingers, as if someone were squeezing them, and she felt her other senses coming to life.

"Cait, honey, can you hear me?" This was Barry's gentle voice, laced with concern. Concern about what, she didn't know.

"Caitlin, if you can hear him, open your eyes," came Cisco's calming voice but Caitlin didn't want to open her eyes. It was so warm and comfortable where she was, she never wanted to leave. Then, a woman's voice filtered through her ears.

"Ms. Snow, this is Patricia, your physician. If you can hear me, I need you to open your eyes.

Patricia? What was she doing with Barry and Cisco? Then came the memories. The memory of the gun pressed against her neck and the stale breath of the man behind her. His dangerously low voice, telling her to follow him. Her defiance. Feeling a sudden pain on the back of her head, Caitlin forced her eyes open with a gasp.

"My head," she cried as she tried to sit up. Firm but soft hands pushed her back until she was laying down and she cut her eyes to Barry, who was trying to soothe her with gentle touches.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay, it's okay," he murmured, and she nodded her head as she inhaled shakily.

"It's okay," she muttered, willing her trembling to stop. She was still hazy on the details of what happened, but she knew Cisco and Barry would be able to fill in the blanks.

"What happened?" Caitlin asked softly, probing lightly at the bump on her head.

"You were attacked, some stranger," Barry said darkly, and Caitlin could tell how mad he was by the clenching of his fist.

"How badly hurt am I?" Caitlin whispered, and Patricia cleared her throat.

"Mild concussion and three bruised ribs," she said calmly, and Caitlin knew she was trying not to spook her.

"Oh," Caitlin muttered. That explained the consistent throbbing in her ribcage. Patricia raised her flashlight pen up and held it in front of Caitlin's eyes.

"You're going to be sensitive to the light; that's okay. Just try to follow my finger as best you can," Patricia said, and Caitlin nodded her head as much as she dared, given how tender it was.

When Patricia turned on the flashlight, Caitlin winced against the small amount of light that shined against her pupils and felt Barry's fingers lace through hers'.

Caitlin tried to follow her physician's finger as best she could and eventually the testing was done.

"You're going to feel some pain for several days. I've already called in a strong pain killer and am ordering you to bed rest for the next week," Patricia warned, and Caitlin smiled slightly as she thanked her. Bed rest. Nothing sounded more appealing to her than that at that moment. Barry wound his arm around her waist and helped ease her off the bed, supporting her as she got her bearings back. Then Cisco held the door open for her and they were on their way, with instructions by her physician to head straight to the pharmacy. After their stop at the pharmacy, Barry drove them back to Caitlin's apartment as Cisco ordered them Chinese food, knowing it was something Caitlin usually loved to eat when she was seeking some form of comfort.

Once they had made it to her apartment, the three of them headed straight to the elevator, returning her doorman's greeting as they went. There was no mail to retrieve this time and Caitlin released a sigh she hadn't realized she had been holding – that meant no creepy letters from her stalker. When they reached her apartment, she let them in and shut her door softly, securing the deadbolt after all three of them were inside.

"Cisco, I want you staying here tonight," her tone booked no room for argument and he nodded his head wordlessly.

"I'll take the couch," he said softly, and she smiled as much as she could. Just then, he got a ping on his phone and he quickly looked at it.

"Foods here," he muttered and looked up at Barry, who was shaking his head.

"Cisco, I can't leave her man. Do you think you can carry it all up by yourself?" Barry asked, and Cisco nodded his affirmative before leaving the apartment.

"Barry, I can look after myself," Caitlin reminded him, but he sent her a look.

"Don't push me on this, Cait. Don't you dare," he muttered, and she had the sense to not retaliate, not when he was looking so serious.

"Alright," she sighed as she sat down on the couch, kicking off her shoes. She was tired, and her body ached – nothing a hot shower couldn't fix. Barry shrugged out of his jacket and sat down next to her, placing his hand on her knee softly.

"Are you okay?" Barry whispered, trying and failing to attain eye contact. She nodded her head shortly.

"Fine," she muttered, and he sighed.

"Sweetheart, can you please look at me?" Barry asked softly, and, after a moment's hesitation, she lifted her eyes to find his. She noticed the concern swirling in his orbs and felt her heart crack.

"You don't have to lie to me, sweetheart," he murmured.

"I'm fine," Caitlin reiterated. She was determined to remain detached – something that helped her protect Barry more. Barry sighed again and got down onto his knees, holding her hands gently in his, and looked at her.

"Please don't shut me out," he begged quietly, and she felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes. She blinked them out as best she could. She looked everywhere but him, but he was anything if not patient, and just waited for her to finally look at him. At long last, she finally looked at him and exhaled shakily.

"Please, sweetheart," he croaked, and she nodded her head hesitantly.

"Alright," she murmured. "I'm not fine, I'm scared."

He traced her knuckles gently.

"I know you are," he whispered. "I'm scared, too."

She let a couple of tears slip past and he brushed them away softly.

"What am I going to do?" Caitlin muttered, and he kissed her forehead gently; her eyes closed upon contact.

"I think you mean to ask, 'what are we going to do'? And the answer to that is: fight back. Fight back as hard as we can. Give this creep hell for all of the trauma he's put you through," Barry replied firmly, tone booking no room for disagreement. Caitlin studied him for a long moment, eventually squaring her shoulders.

"Alright. We give him hell," she agreed, ready to finally fight back.


	18. Chapter 18

Cisco eventually made his way back to Caitlin's apartment with the food, and the three of them sat down to a quiet dinner, gentle conversation flowing through them periodically. Caitlin knew Barry, and, Cisco, were doing their best to keep her mind preoccupied so she didn't have to think about the attack, but it wasn't easy. Her mind was running ramped with thoughts of the man who had attacked her. She couldn't remember all the details, but she did remember him calling her by her name, following it up with saying it was his boss who was interested in her. The boss was her stalker, it had to be. Caitlin just didn't know who he was.

"Cait, honey, are you still with us?" Barry's gentle voice broke through her thoughts, and she blinked as she looked at him. She quickly cleared her thoughts and nodded her head softly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm still here," she murmured apologetically as she finished the last bite of her orange chicken and chow mien. When they had all cleared their plates, she helped load them into the dishwasher, ignoring Cisco's useless statement that he could do it while she went and rested on her couch – she wasn't about to become dependent on her boyfriend and best friend to the point where she couldn't do anything. Once the kitchen table had been cleared, the three of them made their way into her living room, and Caitlin eased herself down onto the couch slowly, ignoring the pain that ignited in her ribs.

Pepper bounded up to her mother but noticed something wasn't quite right because she carefully climbed onto her lap and rested down on her, aware of her movements. Caitlin blinked back tears as she scratched her behind her ears. She could feel Barry's eyes on her, and tried to stop the tears from spilling over.

"Are you alright, Cait?" Barry asked softly, and she nodded her head.

"Fine," she whispered and, unlike when it was just the two of them from before, Barry was wise enough to not push the subject in front of Cisco. The three of them fell into a silence, with Caitlin petting Pepper, and Barry tracing soothing circles into Caitlin's knee. Cisco cleared his throat.

"Cait," Cisco began hesitantly, and she looked at him. "You may not feel up to doing this, but I have to ask: do you still have any of the letters your stalker sent you?"

Caitlin thought about it as she saw Barry frowning at Cisco out of the corner of her eye.

"Why do you ask, Cisco?" Barry asked, and Cisco sighed.

"Look, I know you want to protect her, and I understand that; hell, I want to protect her, too. However, I think it's important that after today, every detail, no matter how insignificant, doesn't go unnoticed by the three of us," Cisco explained, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I agree," Caitlin said quietly, and placed Pepper on the couch, and stood up, before walking over to her kitchen counter where a box sat.

"After the police dusted them for fingerprints, and found none, there was no reason for them to hold the letters as evidence. Besides, they took pictures of the letters so already have them on file. I kept them in here," Caitlin nodded her head towards the box before picking it up, and maneuvering her way back to the couch. Once she was seated again, she opened the box and pulled out the first letter with shaking hands. After looking at it for a moment, analyzing it for the millionth time, she passed it to Cisco, who inspected it for quite some time. He seemed to be trying to memorize every detail about it.

"And you don't know what the 'W' stands for?" Cisco asked at long last, and Caitlin just sighed.

"No," she muttered. "I've wracked my brains every which way, trying to come up with something, anything, but no matter how hard I try, I can't figure out what it stands for."

Cisco nodded his head. "Obviously an abbreviation, but for what?"

"First name, last name, nickname, the list could go on," Caitlin laughed dryly, and, again, Barry rubbed her knee.

"We'll figure it out," he murmured.

"All I care to know is if it's a random stranger who became fixated with me or someone I know," Caitlin stated.

"You said there were photos from your first photoshoot?" Cisco asked.

"Yes, back when I was modeling to pay for college," she agreed.

"Means he must've known you back then," Barry muttered.

"Not necessarily," Caitlin countered, and Barry looked at her. "He could be friends with someone who knew me from back then or he could've just searched for my first set of published photos. I doubt it's very trying to find those photos."

Barry frowned at that and ran a weary hand over his face. "I hadn't even thought about that."

They fell silent after that, each absorbed in their own thoughts, and, for Caitlin, physical and emotional tiredness. She was tired to the bone. All she wanted was a hot shower, hot cup of tea, and her bed. Sighing, she stayed quiet for another solid ten minutes before clearing her throat.

"It's late, and we're all tired. We should get some sleep," she murmured, the two guys quickly nodding their heads. Barry stood up and held his hand out to her.

"C'mon, let's get you in bed, and then I'll get blankets for Cisco," he said softly. She took his hand and eased herself up.

"Give me a moment," she muttered, and headed to her front door. She triple-checked to make sure the locks were locked, even double checking her bottom dead bolt. Then, she made her way to her windows, and, one by one, made sure all of those were locked, too. Once everything had been deemed locked, she turned back around and saw Barry staring at her with a sad expression.

"Baby, you're safe," he murmured as he made his way towards her, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Never hurts to double check," she muttered, kissing him gently before looking at Cisco.

"You'll be okay on the couch, yeah?" Caitlin asked, and he nodded his head.

"Of course, Cait," he smiled softly at her, and she returned it as much as her tired muscles would allow her.

After retrieving the blankets and passing them off to Barry, Caitlin headed for a shower. As the hot water loosened her tense muscles, she let herself submit to her tears for the first time that night. She kept a firm hand over her mouth, so no one would hear her, but cried for a full ten minutes. Finally, after her tears ran dry, she climbed out of the shower, and dressed, before making her way to her bedroom. Barry was already laying on her bed, and smiled at her when she walked in.

"Ready for bed?" Barry asked her gently, and she nodded. He passed her a pain killer and the glass of water he had brought into the bedroom. She took the medication without any form of protest, before crawling into bed, Barry's snug arms wrapping securely around her.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart," Barry murmured into her ear. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Too tired to argue, and feeling the rapidness of the pills effects, Caitlin quickly succumbed to slumber, feeling safe for the first time since the attack.


	19. Chapter 19

Caitlin woke up the next morning to a gentle heartbeat underneath her ear. It took her a couple of moments to take in her surroundings before realizing she had fallen asleep pressed up to Barry's chest. She smiled slightly at the comfortable feeling she was cocooned in. She was warm, and happy, and most important, safe. Sighing contentedly, she stretched before a frown washed over her face at the sharp pain that shot through her. Trying not to groan, she lifted her shirt to assess the damage that had been done to her ribs. Gasping slightly at the black and purple bruises that littered her skin, not to mention the inflammation, Caitlin sighed. Then, felt Barry shift and she looked up at him.

"Morning," she murmured once she realized he was peering at her.

"Morning," he replied, brushing his nose against hers', before kissing her gently on the forehead. She smiled as she leaned into the touch.

"How are you feeling this morning, baby?" Barry whispered as he gently began carding his fingers through her hair. She smiled.

"Fine," she lied and he raised an eyebrow at that in question. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'm feeling less than amazing. However, do you know the remedy for that?"

"Coffee?" Barry teased and Caitlin laughed.

"Yes, and I'm on the hunt for some. Care to join me?" Caitlin asked as she got out of bed and slipped a sweater on over her tank top, before making her way towards the door and out of her room, into her kitchen. She spotted Cisco slowly starting to wake up and smiled at him softly.

"Morning, Cisco," she called to him.

"M-morning," he replied through a yawn and she shook her head fondly as she went and started the coffee pot. It wasn't long until the coffee was brewed, covering her kitchen the homey smell of the beverage. She poured herself a cup, then stepped back to let Barry and Cisco get their own drinks. For a few minutes, the kitchen was silent except for the sounds of the three of them making their coffees just the way they liked them, then retiring to the table.

"What are you doing today, Cait?" Cisco asked after taking a sip of his coffee. Taking a much needed sip of her own beverage, Caitlin peered at him over the rim of her cup.

"Well, I planned on getting a little more shopping done today, then maybe seeing if Felicity wanted to get a quick bite," she murmured, unsure of how the two guys were going to react to her being out of her apartment the day after an attack. Little to her surprise, Barry looked up at her with a frown.

"Are you sure that's wise, sweetheart?" Barry asked and she sighed.

"Look, I know you both want me to stay in the safety of my apartment but I'm not going to let my stalker scare me into hiding," she told him firmly. She saw Barry look beseechingly at Cisco, but, much to her surprise, he shook his head at him.

"Look, man, I want Caitlin to be as safe and protected as she can be, but do you really think hiding her away from the world is the answer?" Cisco questioned and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Traitor," he muttered and Caitlin and Cisco shared a victorious smile.

"But, that doesn't mean I want you out in the world alone," Cisco hastened to add.

"I'll be with Felicity," Caitlin pointed out.

"Not good enough," Cisco waved an inpatient hand and it was Caitlin's turn to roll her eyes.

"What do you suggest then?" Caitlin asked and Cisco grinned.

"I say see if Oliver is willing to come, act as your body guard," Cisco replied and Caitlin looked at him.

"What makes you think Oliver would want to give up his afternoon to be my bodyguard?" Caitlin asked with a sigh and Cisco laughed.

"If you have to ask that, you clearly underestimate the persuasion of one Felicity Smoak," he smirked and, after staring at him for a moment, Caitlin relented with a huff.

"Fine," she muttered, closing that part of the conversation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later found Caitlin and Felicity shopping some of the older thrift stores in the city, with Oliver walking a few paces behind them.

"Thanks for agreeing to spending the day with me, Licity," Caitlin said and Felicity smiled.

"Nothing like a little girl time to soothe the anxious mind," Felicity replied cheerfully and Caitlin knew she was talking about her. She laughed.

"I suppose that's true," she agreed lightly as they walked into another store, with Oliver standing guard outside of the entrance.

"And, Oliver's been dying to play bodyguard for a while, now," Felicity added and Caitlin looked at her surprise.

"What…he's not being a bodyguard," she tried to deny but Felicity just laughed.

"Oh, honey, yes he is. You know, I know it, he knows it. Now the question that's poised: who's he protecting you from?" Felicity asked with a quirked eyebrow and Caitlin hesitated for a moment, before deciding to give her a basic rundown of the situation she found herself in.

"And, now, I was attacked last night," Caitlin finished several moments later, having gone over everything else about her stalker. She watched as Felicity's frown of concern turned into anger.

"That creep attacked you? Oh, heck no," she breathed out and Caitlin would have laughed at her nerdy behavior if the situation wasn't so harrowing.

"Yeah," she mumbled, placing a hand on her ribs unconsciously.

"You know, Cait, Oliver teaches a self-defense class every Tuesday and Thursday evening. I'm sure I can convince him to sign you up for the class, free of charge," Felicity offered. Caitlin quickly shook her head, smiling politely.

"I would be more than happy to pay for it," she murmured but it was Felicity's turn to shake her head.

"Oh, that's not how this works. You're a friend of ours', you pay nothing and just learn the moves to the best of your capability," she smirked and Caitlin looked at her before looking at Oliver's back.

"If you're sure…" she trailed off and Felicity nodded her head encouragingly.

"I'm sure," she replied. They headed out of the store and met up with Oliver, with Felicity giving him the situation Caitlin found herself in. After being told everything, he immediately agreed to take her into his class, free of charge. They agreed the following Tuesday would be her first session.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caitlin was dropped off a few hours later, after a quick dinner, and Oliver walked her all the way up to her apartment, eyes scanning the hallways the entire time.

"I'll see you Tuesday, Cait," he said and cut his eyes to her door, which was opening from the inside. Oliver quickly pushed her behind him before squaring his shoulders.

"Relax, I'm sure it's just Barry," she murmured, and, sure enough, Barry emerged out of the apartment a moment later.

"Hey, sweetheart, Oli-Oliver? Why do you look like you're about to attack me?" Barry asked, confusion strong in his tone. Oliver relaxed his tense shoulders and nodded his head at Barry.

"Sorry, didn't know if it was going to be you on the other side of the door," he muttered and Barry nodded in understanding. Caitlin smiled at Oliver.

"I'll see you Tuesday, alright, Ollie?" Caitlin asked and he nodded his head briefly before turning on his heel and striding away from them. Caitlin walked into the apartment, kissing Barry softly once she was inside.

"Why are you seeing Oliver on Tuesday?" Barry asked and Caitlin laughed slightly.

"I may be joining his self-defense class," she said and Barry grinned.

"Something that I think will do you a world of good," he praised and they shared a long, sweet kiss before Caitlin pulled back abruptly and yawned.

"And on that note, I think it's time for bed, sweetheart," Barry whispered, carding his fingers through Caitlin's hair gently. She smiled tiredly.

"Bed," she agreed and the pair made their way to her bedroom, talking gently the whole time.


	20. Chapter 20

The following Tuesday found Caitlin standing outside of Oliver's studio, staring up at the enter sign apprehensively. She wasn't sure if self-defense was the way to go, but she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't want to protect herself from her stalker should the situation ever call for it. She inhaled shakily before squaring her shoulders, holding her head up high, and walked into the studio as bravely as she could. She had about ten minutes before the class actually started so she sought out Oliver and made her way over to him once she spotted him.

"Hey, Ollie," she greeted softly, and he turned towards her, soft smile painted across his features.

"Hello, Cait," he replied quietly, dipping his head towards her in greeting. She dropped her gym bag, and shrugged off her sweater, revealing a tank top and pair of yoga pants. It's what she felt the most comfortable in when working out. Oliver nodded in approval at her attire and cut his eyes towards a set of cubby holes.

"You can put your gym bag in one of those; completely safe," he promised earnestly and she smiled, before making her way towards them. She picked a cubby hole towards the end of the row, away from everyone else's. She figured she'd see anyone navigate their way towards the end of the row if they were looking to pickpocket anything out of her bag; not that she had much stuff to steal, just some clothes.

Once she was satisfied she had chosen a secluded corner, she made her way back to Oliver, who was watching her.

"Now what?" Caitlin asked curiously, unsure of what to do during the session. Oliver smiled slightly.

"Now, you watch my movements I'm about to teach the whole class, and learn how to defend yourself should a situation ever arise that calls for it, alright?" Oliver asked, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Alright," she murmured, before walking towards the side of the room, and getting herself in a position that allowed her to completely focus on Oliver. The class was grueling, to say the least. Oliver taught them hard moves at a fast paced speed, expecting nothing but the best from them. Caitlin held her own, though, focusing on every jab and punch Oliver taught them. She learned how to keep her elbows tucked into her side when throwing a punch; a punch much different than the one her father taught her when she was a little girl. She also learned how to aim for key hitting points: the nose, jaw, and eyes. If she could hit her attacker square on the nose, she'd throw them off balance long enough to run away.

Caitlin sweated profusely through the class, realizing that on top of learning how to defend herself, she was also getting a great work out. Smiling slightly, she decided to keep coming to the self –defense class, on top of her daily yoga. Something told her that she would be grateful for taking the classes sometime soon.

Once the class ended, Oliver dismissed them before signaling her to come talk to him. She quickly made her way over to him and accepted both the towel, and water bottle he handed her. After taking a much needed drink of water, she patted the towel against her neck, wiping the sweat off that laid there.

"You're a natural, Cait," Oliver praised and she beamed.

"I didn't think I was going to get much out of the class but I was pleasantly surprised," she replied, and Oliver chuckled.

"That's normally what first time comers say, too," he remarked. They stood there for a few moments, allowing Caitlin the opportunity to cool down. After taking another drink, Oliver cleared his throat.

"How are you getting home?" Oliver asked, and Caitlin knew she wasn't imagining the concern in his voice. She smiled softly.

"Barry's picking me up," she replied, and the relief that washed over Oliver's face was comforting; safe.

"Good, I wasn't about to let you call a cab or, even worse, walk back to your apartment," he breathed out, and Caitlin laughed.

"Yeah, Barry didn't go for either of those options, as well," she replied knowingly, and it was Oliver's turn to laugh.

"Barry's a standup guy," Oliver stated as they made their way towards the cubbyhole Caitlin had chosen. She cocked her head to the side, inviting him to continue with whatever he wanted to say, all the while pulling out her bag and shrugging her sweater back on once she retrieved it from the bottom of her bag.

"I've been on Barry's team for the past three years, ever since Felicity and I started dating; I've never had a problem with him. Not once," Oliver added, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"He's a great guy," she agreed, smiling at the warmth that filled her from head to toe whenever she thought about her boyfriend.

"He really likes you," Oliver commented wisely, and Caitlin looked at him surprise.

"How do you know?" Caitlin asked.

"We may do guys night every now and then, talking about things," Oliver replied mischievously, and Caitlin shook her head fondly.

"Of course you guys do guys night," she laughed, Oliver mirroring her own laughter.

"We work on a team consisted of mostly girls; we need a night out every now and then," Oliver stated as they made their way out of the building. Caitlin spotted Barry sitting in his car, reading, and she smiled.

"Well, just don't get him into too much trouble, Mr. Queen," she remarked, and Oliver shook his head, wicked smiled etched into his features.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Ms. Snow," he chuckled, and Caitlin rolled her eyes before placing a kiss on Oliver's cheek.

"Thanks for the lesson, Ollie," she said softly, and he squeezed her shoulder.

"I'll see you Thursday," he replied. She smiled and turned on her heel, walking away from him. She had only gotten a couple of paces away from him when he called her back.

"Oh, and Caitlin?" Oliver asked, and she paused, and looked at him curiously.

"Take care of yourself," he murmured, and she smiled before waving, and headed back towards Barry's car. Once there, she opened the door and got in, before kissing Barry gently.

"Sorry, I'm all sweaty," she apologized, but Barry shook his head and stole one more kiss.

"I can live with that," he murmured, and she laughed.

"How was the class?" Barry asked as he pulled out of his parking space and into the city's evening traffic.

"Good, I learned how to throw an even better punch than I know now!" Caitlin enthused, and Barry laughed at her enthusiasm.

"And here was me not thinking that was possible," he grinned, and Caitlin shoved his arm jokingly.

They laughed and chatted on the whole ride back to her apartment, talking about anything and everything they could think of. It was moments like this that Caitlin enjoyed the most. Just sitting with her boyfriend, being carefree. They took care of each other, knowing that it was their job to each protect the other. Caitlin wasn't sure what she had done to luck out by getting him as a boyfriend, but she knew she'd be thanking her stars every day she got to call him hers'.

Nothing more was said on their ride; they just simply held hands as he drove through the street, utterly content to be sitting where they were.


	21. Chapter 21

Caitlin had successfully completed three self-defense classes and she, nor Oliver, could not be prouder. Caitlin sincerely hoped it wouldn't have to come down to her defending herself against an attacker, should the situation arise; however, she wasn't naïve enough to assume that all of her troubles would be over with a few simple self-defense moves. Shaking her head, she smiled softly as she arrived to the location she was supposed to be modeling for that day. The photographer and her had crossed paths in the earlier days of her career, and she had been promised a lighthearted shoot, so she signed onto the project. It helped to know that Barry was at the studio across the street, working on his own shoot.

Caitlin headed into the studio, walking across the pavement as quickly as possible, rotating her eyes in every direction. Just because she was now the master of a few self-defense moves, did not mean that she necessarily wanted to have to utilize them. Once she was safely inside the building, she sighed with relief as she slowed her heart rate down. She immediately made her way to the photographer once she spotted her.

"Carrie, hey," Caitlin greeted her with a hug and smile. Carrie hugged her back tightly before the two women broke apart.

"Caity, you're looking gorgeous as ever," Carrie complimented generously and Caitlin smiled bashfully.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Caitlin changed the topic, interested to see just how far Carrie had come since she met her at the beginning of her career.

"We have," Carrie agreed. "I'm no longer just taking photographs of amateurs, and you're clearly no longer a grasping at straws model."

Caitlin laughed freely as she accepted the glass of water Carrie's assistant brought her.

"Thank you," she murmured as she took a sip, thinking over Carrier's words.

"I'm definitely not grasping at straws anymore; I'm actually able to afford my studio apartment now," Caitlin replied. Carrie's eyes twinkled.

"Well, today is going to be pretty easy. We're just going to have a basic shoot today; clothes light and simple," Carrie stated and Caitlin nodded her head appreciatively. That's one thing she learned to appreciate over the course of her career: clothes that weren't tight or weighed her down. Carrie jerked her head towards her clothing designer and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Say no more," she chirped before making her way towards the designer, ready to get changed. After several hours of shooting, Caitlin was finally given the all clear to get off the ramp she was standing on, so she made her way towards the designer to get her clothes back. After changing, she quickly headed towards Carrie.

"Thanks for a good day today, Carrie," she hummed as she slung her bag onto her shoulder. Carrie nodded her head as she smiled.

"It was good to see you, Caity," she grinned and Caitlin matched it. They headed out to the parking lot together.

"Will I be seeing you again anytime soon?" Caitlin asked and Carrie nodded her head.

"Most likely," she agreed with a smile and quick wave, before heading off. Caitlin rolled her eyes at the dramatic exit with a slight smile before heading towards the building Barry was in. Once there, she walked in after stating who she was at the entrance. Inside, she spotted his team, all winding down from the day.

"Cait!" Cisco called out as soon as he spotted her and she grinned as she headed towards him.

"Hey, Cisco," she murmured, glancing around.

"Your man is changing out the film in his camera, he should be right back," Cisco stated with a roll of his eyes, one that Caitlin matched.

"You know me too well, Cisco," Caitlin huffed and the long-haired make-up artist nodded his head excitedly.

"And don't you forget it," he laughed. Just then, Barry made his way up to them and greeted Caitlin with a kiss.

"Hey, you," he murmured and she nestled her head into the crook of his neck.

"Hey, yourself," she replied. They didn't stand around long, chatting; they were eager to get back to her apartment with the promised Chinese food.

After sending out quick greetings to the rest of the team, with the quick promise to meet Felicity later on in the week for some girl time, they headed out. Soon enough, Barry and Caitlin were getting into Caitlin's car and backing out of the parking lot.

"How was your shoot, babe?" Caitlin asked and Barry smiled as he adjusted her mirrors to his own advantage.

"It was good, long. The model had a bit of an attitude," he replied and Caitlin sighed. She hated models like that; they gave models like her a bad name. Modes who appreciated every photographer they worked with, no matter how rude. Her thoughts strayed to Tony Woodward, and his less than friendly attitude towards her.

"Where did you go?" Barry asked, and Caitlin shook her head, clearing herself of the thoughts.

"Nowhere, just thinking how Tony Woodward would most likely be the reason I had an attitude with a photographer," she laughed and Barry mirrored it.

"He is a jerk," he agreed before lacing their hands together and placing them on the console. Caitlin fiddled around with the radio, before landing on a station that was playing soft instrumental music. She leaned back into her seat, and settled in for the drive home. It was about ten minutes later that Caitlin realized she didn't recognize the route Barry was taking them.

"Babe, where are you going?" Caitlin asked, and saw how he flashed his eyes towards her before looking in the rearview mirror.

"Don't want to worry you, but someone has been following us since we left the studio," he muttered. Caitlin looked at him before getting ready to turn and look out of the back window.

"Don't turn around sweetheart," Barry advised and Caitlin nodded before staring straight out of the window.

"Should I call the cops?" Caitlin asked lowly, unsure as to why she was practically whispering; it wasn't like her car was bugged.

"Don't want to spook whoever it is who's following us. This is what I want you to do baby: casually take your phone out of the cup holder, and text Cisco. Get him to call the cops," Barry murmured, cutting his eyes to the rearview mirror as he, again, took a sharp turn. The car followed. Caitlin took a steadying breath before doing just that.

"He's been notified," Caitlin said as soon as the text was sent off. Barry nodded his head.

"Now act like I just said something funny, and maybe run your hand through my hair; keep acting casual," Barry said. Caitlin laughed gently, knowing she had to make it believable before brushing her lips across his cheek. He smiled and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Perfect, baby," he praised softly before sneaking another look into the mirror.

"Still following us," he muttered. Caitlin exhaled shakily as the car started blaring its horn.

"Alright, hold on Caitlin," Barry instructed, before flooring the gas. They shot forward, with Caitlin barely managing to grab onto the car door handle. Barry took a sharp left, and Caitlin knew he was hoping to surprise the other driver. They just kept up with them. Caitlin's phone buzzed and she looked down at it quickly.

"Cops have been notified," she whispered, and Barry nodded.

"Good."

Nothing more was said as they sped through some back streets, away from the city. Caitlin chanced a glance out of her side mirror.

"It's a man, maybe mid-thirties. He's getting closer," she said nervously. She watched as the car jerked closer and closer.

"He's going to hit us," she breathed out shakily.

"Hold on," Barry said. The car slammed into them, sending Caitlin flying forward. The seatbelt snapped into her chest, blocking her from going through the windshield, but didn't stop the car from hitting the railing on the side of the road. Caitlin's head hit the dashboard and all she saw was darkness.


	22. Chapter 22

The excuriating pain in her head was what tugged Caitlin back to consciousness. She felt tired and out of sorts, holding a hand to her head as she blinked her eyes open. Her eyes roamed all over the scene before her, and she inhaled the sharp smell of what was unmistakably smoke. Pieces of the crash danced just out of her reach, tantalizing her with themselves. Her mind was doing it's best to protect itself, something she was incredibly annoyed with because she was trying to piece together the puzzle that was what happened. She remembered random things. Someone following them. Texting Cisco. Barry telling her to hold on. Barry. Oh, god. Barry.

"Barry?" Caitlin cried out in alarm, and, suddenly, there were gloved hands pushing her down.

"Shh, ma'am, it's alright," a woman's voice said but it did little to soothe her frayed nerves.

"It'll only be alright when you tell me where my boyfriend is," Caitlin snapped back as she fought against the hands that tried to hold her down. Just then, she heard his voice.

"Cait, baby, I'm right here," he said soothingly as he squeezed her hand.

"Are you alright?" Caitlin demanded, momentarily afraid that they were going to be ripped apart from each other.

"I'm fine, just some artificial cuts by the glass. You need to stay still, baby. The paramedics said you have a concussion. Your second one in a month; they're taking you to the hospital in a few moments, alright?" Barry asked softly. His soft voice did little to soothe her nerves, however.

"I can't go to the hospital, the media will have a field day with that," she panicked, but he was there to help her calm down again.

"They've already got the police at the hospital, guarding our entrance," he murmured as he squeezed her hand.

"Our entrance?" Caitlin asked in confusion. It was then that she realized the paramedics were trying to lift her onto a gurney.

"I'm going with you, baby," Barry stated firmly, and Caitlin knew better than to argue with him. The paramedics lifted her up and into the ambulance, with Barry climbing in after he had been given the go ahead. He laced his fingers with Caitlin's, smiling softly at her.

"I know you're tired, baby, but you have to try and stay awake, alright?" Barry asked anxiously, and she frowned. He was right, she was tired. However, she was going to try her damnedest to keep her eyes open. The paramedic who had slid into the back of the ambulance with her started asking questions.

"Hi, I'm Stacy. Can you tell me your name?" Stacy asked.

"Caitlin," Caitlin replied shakily.

"And, what's your favorite color, Caitlin?" Stacy asked, and Caitlin thought about it.

"Grey," she murmured, eyes blinking passed the tiredness she felt developing.

"Do you have any pets, Caitlin?" Stacy's next question came, along with a pen flashlight shining against her pupils. Caitlin winced.

"P-Pepper, a dachshund," she whispered.

"My favorite kind of dog," Stacy praised. Caitlin smiled faintly, before redirecting her attention to Barry's fingers laced through hers'. She sighed.

"I'm sorry this happened," she muttered, too quiet for Stacy to hear; quiet enough for Barry to bend his head closer to hear her properly.

"This is not your fault, sweetheart," Barry said firmly, and she smiled sadly. It was nice of him to try and convince her she had nothing to do with this, but she knew better; this had her stalker's name written all over it. Before she could say anything else, her stomach turned, and she flipped over in time to be sick all inside the ambulance. Gasping, Caitlin looked up, mortified.

"I…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say in response to something like that happening. Luckily, nobody seemed perturbed about it.

"That's alright, Caitlin. Most people who have concussions get sick at least once before they're treated," Stacy said lightly, while Barry traced random patterns into her arm.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he murmured soothingly, and she nodded her head, not finding the words to convey how sorry she was, anyways.

Finally, they reached the hospital, and the door to the ambulance was flung open, Stacy wheeling Caitlin out in response. Barry leapt out of the truck and ran with them into the emergency room.

Soon, Caitlin was deemed to not be in critical condition, and was wheeled into a room off to the side for some privacy while the doctor checked her concussion, and other areas of her body that had been affected by the wreck, such as her chest and ribs. Once it was deemed that her ribs were a little bruised but otherwise unharmed, and that Barry hadn't suffered anything more than a few cuts, they were sent on their way with the promise of discharge papers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time Cisco had picked them up from the hospital, and had explained everything to the officers who were guarding the entrance outside from the paparazzi, Caitlin was thinking longingly of a hot shower, and a cup of tea. Barry guided her into her complex, with Cisco promising to be there early in the morning with coffee, and some new ideas how to combat her problem head on. Caitlin stepped into her apartment and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling scared and lost. Barry wound his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Tell me where your head is at, baby," he murmured, and, after a momentary pause, she sighed and nodded her head.

"I'm…scared," she whispered, feeling herself crumbling at that admission and not being strong enough to withstand all the things that had been thrown her way over the past few months. Barry kissed her shoulder blade softly.

"I think that's a perfectly normal response, and something you're allowed to be, baby," he said softly, and she blinked past the moisture in her eyes, looking towards the picture of her and her dad, playing in the leaves. Her dad would've known what to do in this situation; would've had it solved in a matter of mere hours. She sighed.

"I really wish my dad was here," she muttered, voice wavering, and lump constricting inside of her throat painfully.

"Oh, sweetheart," Barry murmured, squeezing her gently. They didn't say much after that, just held each other close as the night wore on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cisco arrived the next morning early, and with the coffee he promised. Caitlin woke up when she felt Barry slipping out from her bed, and padding his way across her apartment. Soon enough, the sound of Cisco's soft voice filtered to her ears, along with the smell of fresh coffee. Taking a few more moments to revel in the quiet and stillness, Caitlin, too, got up. After wrapping her sweater around her, she made her way out into the living room where Cisco, and Barry, were arranging the coffees.

"Morning. Cisco," Caitlin murmured, wincing against the harsh light emanating from her kitchen. Barry noticed it, and hastily went to go turn it off, with Cisco flipping on her reading lamp on her table next to her couch.

"Better, baby?" Barry asked softly, and she nodded her head with a soft smile.

"Much," she agreed, before easing herself down onto the couch, accepting the coffee cup Cisco handed to her with a word of thanks. Not much was said amongst the three of them as they sipped their coffees; they were too absorbed in their own thoughts.

Caitlin was the first to break the extended silence. "What do we do now?"

Cisco squared his shoulders. "We fight like hell, together. And above all else, make sure nothing, and I mean nothing else happens to you."

Barry nodded his own head.

"Absolutely," he reiterated. Caitlin knew this was inevitable; knew that Barry, and Cisco, wanting to protect her even more than they already had, was just going to be the beginning of it. Sighing, she nodded her head, not saying anything else.


	23. Chapter 23

When Cisco said they'd fight like hell, he meant it, Caitlin came to find out. He stuck to her like glue, even going as far as skipping out on a few jobs to be with her, when Barry couldn't. It was one thing to lose a makeup artist for a few jobs, a whole other matter entirely to lose the photographer, and, Caitlin had put her foot down. She was adamant about Barry not giving up his job for her.

"Morning, Cait," Cisco greeted her when she walked out of her bedroom one morning. He had taken to sleeping on the couch as of late, something she still wasn't sure how she felt about. It was nice to see the makeup artist, but he was slowly starting to give up his life for her, too, and that wasn't something that sat well with Caitlin.

"Morning, Cisco," she replied as she padded her way towards the kitchen, on the hunt for coffee. It was the only thing that kept her going after long shoots, and nights spent tossing back and forth, unable to sleep. She turned on her coffee pot to let it brew, and redirected her attention back on her friend, who had snuck into the kitchen after her.

"It is okay to leave me on my own for a bit, you know," Caitlin chastised. "I'm sure my stalker's not waiting to ambush me in the kitchen."

Cisco wagged a finger at her. "You never know. The kitchen is the perfect place to plan an ambush. It's got knives and things."

Caitlin rolled her eyes amusedly and poured herself a cup of coffee when the pot beeped, tilting her head towards Cisco.

"Help yourself," she commented.

Cisco rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Don't mind if I do."

The two friends fell silent, each sipping out of their coffee, and, for Caitlin at least, getting lost in troubling thoughts. She wondered just how close her stalker was to finding her. The man in the park, and then again, the man who ran them off the road, seemed to be working for her stalker. That was scary in and of itself, because that meant those acts were just child play; that her stalker's true plan was far more sinister. Caitlin shuddered.

"Penny for your thoughts, Cait?" Cisco asked in concern when he noticed her trembling. She sighed as she wrapped her hands more tightly around her mug, hoping to steal some of its warmth.

"I'm just worried," she murmured.

"About?" Cisco prompted.

"My stalker. What his true intentions are. If he's getting goons to attack me in public, and run my boyfriend, and myself, off the road, then it begs the question: what's he going to do once he gets me?" Caitlin whispered, and watched as Cisco frowned out of the corner of her eye.

"Okay, one: no one is "getting you". Two: you honestly think Barry, Oliver, and myself are going to let anything else happen to you? Goons or no goons?" Cisco demanded. Caitlin sighed as she shook her head.

"No, I guess not," she murmured.

"No guessing about it, honey, it's the way it is. Like I've told you before: we're family, and family…"

"Protects their own," Caitlin interrupted with a smile, one which Cisco mirrored.

"Exactly."

XXXXXXXX

Cisco had left about the time Barry came back with Chinse and her mail.

"Robert let you pick up my mail?" Caitlin asked inquisitively, and Barry shrugged sheepishly.

"I may have bribed him into giving it to me," he muttered, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.

"Robert doesn't break the rules for anyone." Caitlin replied, eyebrow raised.

"You're forgetting how charming I can be, Cait," Barry deadpanned, and she rolled her eyes, before stealing a kiss.

"How was your day, babe?" Caitlin asked softly.

"Good, missed you," Barry whispered, tracing her upper lip.

"I missed you, too.:

The pair kissed for a while, exploring each other's mouths; getting lost in the passion. Eventually, they come up for air.

"Let me see my mail," Caitlin murmured, accepting it graciously when he handed it to her. She sorted through the junk and bills first, eyeing a couple of letters from old friends who were asking her to model. Thankfully, there was nothing from her number one fan.

"All clear," she said softly, exhaling in time with Barry.

"Good," Barry murmured.

XXXXXXX

The night passed in relative silence for them, each absorbed with their own activities, but remaining close to their partner. It wasn't long before Barry and she were retiring for the night.

Barry traced lazy patterns against her arms, and she curled her fingers around his biceps, loving the feeling of his skin underneath her fingers.

"Cait?" Barry whispered softly.

"Hmm?"

"I…I love you," he said quietly, and she froze, before feeling her heart soar. She hummed happily.

"I love you, too," she murmured. They shared sweet, long kisses; each content to just be in the present moment with the other.

Author's note: Just a calm one after that past couple of chapters. Don't worry, the angst will be returning.


	24. Chapter 24

Caitlin and Barry, after declaring their love for one another, grew closer over the next few weeks. When you saw one, you could pretty much guarantee the other wouldn't be too far away. Which was why, Barry was attending a photography party Caitlin was invited to. Luckily, this was something he could appreciate as well, so they both enjoyed it immensely. Caitlin got to see old photographers she hadn't talked to in months, and Barry got to enjoy their craft.

"These photos are stunning," Barry said genuinely, and Caitlin looked at them. They were photos of the city, with models placed all throughout famous land marks.

"They are," she murmured, nuzzling into Barry's side, sipping champagne. It had been a calm few weeks, with a few photoshoots here and there. Caitlin mainly stayed under the radar, however. Both she, and Barry, had taken off a week from their hectic lives and had flown out so Barry could meet her mom. That had been a real relaxing time in her life, and she reveled in not having to deal with her stalker. Yes, telling her mom had been hard, but her mother was tough, far tougher than Caitlin was, so she handled the earth shattering news with grace.

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" Barry murmured, brushing his lips across her cheek. She leaned into the touch.

"Just how my mom handled the fact that I have a stalker," she said softly, and Barry chuckled.

"I would pay big money to see your mom throw a punch," he agreed. Well, Caitlin thought she had handled it with grace.

"She did say that, didn't she?" Caitlin mused.

"Oh, she did," Barry laughed.

"Quit. Don't encourage her antics," Caitlin groaned, and Barry stifled, yet another, laugh.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said, and had the decency to look contrite. For all about five seconds before he laughed again. Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

"You're a mess, Barry," she chided.

"Yeah, but you love me," he countered, and kissed her.

"Hmm, I do," she agreed, stealing another kiss. When they broke apart, Barry rested his forehead against hers'.

"What do you think about getting out of here?" Barry murmured.

"I'd say I thought you'd never ask," she whispered against his lips. He grinned, and they got ready to leave. Just as they were almost out of the door, someone calling her name stopped her. Caitlin looked around, trying to figure out who it was.

"I swear, I just heard someone say my name," she muttered, and Barry nodded his head.

"Me, too," he agreed, looking around, too.

Suddenly, the lights went off, and a power point of pictures come on the big screen. Caitlin looked at them, feeling fear root her to the spot. They were all of her, doing regular, mundane activities. Yoga in the park, kick boxing with Felicity, riding around with Barry; everything. She glanced at Barry, who was glaring at the screen.

"Turn them off. Now," he all but growled to the guy running the power point.

"I'm working on it, man. I don't know how that disc got slipped in there. It wasn't my idea," he explained, as he fiddled around with the controls. Eventually, it was turned off, but it was too late; Caitlin already felt naked, on display. She took one look around the room, at all the faces that were turning towards her in surprise, and she ran. She heard Barry mutter something to the tech guy, before hearing his feet pounding after her.

"Cait! Caitlin! Baby, slow down," Barry called out after her, but she kept running. Running all the way outside, and towards a nearby gutter. She threw up immediately. Barry placed one hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles; the other one pulled her hair back away from her face.

"Shh, it's alright, sweetheart," Barry hushed her while she continued to be sick. Finally, there was nothing left to empty out of her stomach, and, after coughing a few times, she stopped and stood up straight.

"How?" Caitlin whispered, glancing around fearfully.

Barry pulled her into his side, tucking her head underneath his chin.

"I don't know baby, but I swear, I will find out," he promised. He walked them to his car, eyes sweeping the streets the whole time. Luckily, they made it to his car in one piece, and, after making sure she was in safely, Barry all but ran to the drivers' side, and got them the hell out of there.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, this dude slipped photos of her into the power point?" Cisco exclaimed, half an hour later. Everyone had gathered at Caitlin's apartment. She nodded her head.

"Yes," she exhaled shakily, accepting the glass of water Felicity had brought her with a quiet, "thank you".

"Oh, hell no," Cisco spat, and Caitlin winced. She recognized the anger he was feeling, however. It was the very same anger that was currently coursing through her.

"What do we do?" Caitlin murmured, scared out her wits.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, baby: we fight," Barr replied.

"Caitlin, what did you say the notes were signed with?" Felicity asked a moment later.

"A 'W', why?" Caitlin asked.

"Didn't you work with Tony?" Felicity asked back, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Yes, why?" Caitlin replied.

"His last name is Woodward," Felicity said pointedly. Every head snapped up at that announcement, and all eyes locked on her.

"She's right," Barry breathed, sounding infuriated.

"Yes, but, I didn't know him in college," Caitlin reminded them.

"You said, the stalker could've gotten your photos from someone who knew you in college, though. That he didn't specifically have to have gone," Barry countered, and Caitlin felt herself shrink.

"Oh." She had said that, it was true. She looked at Barry, and he nodded his head.

"I think it's time we pay a visit to Tony Woodward," he stated, and Caitlin sighed, before agreeing to that.

"Alright," she murmured. She still wasn't convinced that Tony was her stalker, (when had he ever given her good feedback?) However, she was determined to take control back over her life, and if this step was the first step in getting that control back, then so be it. She was ready to give whoever was harassing her hell.


	25. Chapter 25

Caitlin spent the next several days on pins and needles. She needed a way to contact Tony for that part of their plan to follow through, but, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared. She was terrified to the bone. However, she knew that she needed for this meeting to happen to get control over her life again. If Tony was the stalker, (and, she still wasn't convinced it was him, but, what did she know), then she was determined to deal with him head on, and not be hiding behind her friends and boyfriend anymore. Especially her boyfriend. It was time she was the hero of her own story.

The night before her meeting found Caitlin sitting on her couch, knees tucked underneath her, with wine in hand. She wasn't originally going to drink, having wanted a clear head the next day, but, she caved when Cisco said it'd help soothe her nerves a little. She was a nervous wreck, so she'd take all the soothing techniques she could get. She sipped out of her wine glass as she glanced at her watch for what felt like the millionth time in the past five minutes. Barry was due at her apartment any moment now, having gone to work that day. She had the day off, and didn't want him to feel like he had to babysit her while doing his photo shoot; so, she declared she'd allow Cisco to play babysitter.

"Quit looking at your watch, Cait," Cisco reprimanded her quietly, and she looked up from her wrist.

"Oops," she whispered, and he chuckled gently.

"Barry will be here before you know it," he promised her earnestly, and that was enough to soothe her anxious heart a little. She nodded her head and took another sip of wine, to give herself something to do. Cisco knew Caitlin well enough to know that she wasn't in the mood to talk; that she just wanted to sit there, waiting for Barry in peace. So, he kept his mouth shut and she was forever grateful.

The sound of her front door unlocking caused her to lift her head up, and she watched as Barry peeked his head around the door.

"Just me, sweetheart," he murmured, and she smiled at him, before standing up. She met him halfway across her apartment, and he pulled her into a gentle kiss. She found herself reveling in the taste of it, knees going weak. His arms wrapped around her waist, supporting her, and she sighed contentedly. They eventually pulled apart, and Barry brushed his lips across every bit of skin he could reach: cheeks, nose, corner of her lips; not one part of her face went untouched.

"I missed you," she said softly, and he kissed her forehead.

"I missed you, too. My model today is nowhere near as nice as you," he murmured with a frown; one that Caitlin matched.

"That's no fun," she muttered, and he chuckled as he shook his head.

"Nope," he replied, before stealing one more kiss. They fell into their routine of the past few days after that. They ate Chinese that Barry had brought home with him, and talked about the final plans for the next day.

"Remember, sweetheart: I'll be right inside with you, and Oliver's got eyes on us from the outside," Barry said softly. Caitlin nodded her head.

"It's nice to know that if anything goes south, Ollie will be right there," she mused.

"Nothing's going to go south, but I agree; having him close by is working in our favor," Barry replied. Caitlin still didn't believe that anything wouldn't go south, because when had things been easy for them as couple? However, she didn't bother voicing her concerns; she didn't want Barry to worry endlessly, very much like herself.

"Then, I'll be at the police station, ready to deliver the restraining order to the idiot myself," Cisco piped up, after swallowing a mouthful of veggie roll. Caitlin nodded her head absentmindedly.

"Remember, guys, we still don't know if Tony is the actual stalker," she reminded them.

"He's the stalker," Barry, and Cisco, interjected simultaneously. She sighed.

"You two always look for the worst in people," she muttered with an eyeroll.

"And, you look for the best," Barry murmured, matching her eyeroll.

"We'll agree to disagree," she commented with a dry chuckle, and Barry shook his head fondly.

The rest of the night was spent going over tactics on what they should do, should a situation arise.

"I don't care what you say, babe, but my main priority is you, and your safety. If I think, for even a millisecond, that Tony has something up his sleeve, I won't hesitate to get us out of there, blowing the whole thing out of the water," Barry stated firmly. Caitlin sighed.

"That'd be counterproductive," she informed him, but he didn't budge.

"I don't care. You're not going to get hurt anymore because of this creep. He's already had someone attempt to kidnap you, or did you forget?" Barry asked, and Caitlin inhaled sharply.

"No, I hadn't forgot," she muttered, mind drifting back to that day. She felt a shiver run up her spine when she thought about what the gun felt like at the back of her neck. She felt Barry's hand squeezing her smaller one, and looked up.

"It's okay. You're still here, with me," he said softly, and she smiled as much as she could.

As the night ended, Cisco brought something to Caitlin's attention.

"I don't really like the idea of not being near my best friend right now," he began, looking pointedly at her.

"Okay, and…" Caitlin trailed off, unsure of what he wanted to say.

"I think I should stay here, with you guys, until this creep is behind bars. Because, truth of the matter is, he did try to have you kidnapped. I don't think the police are going to settle for a restraining order at this point," he replied. Caitlin thought it over for a moment.

"I'd feel better if you were here, too," she admitted, and Cisco dipped his head appreciatively. At long last, the three of them retired to bed for the evening, with Cisco taking the couch, and Caitlin and Barry climbing into her bed. Barry's arms automatically wrapped around her waist, and she snuggled into his hold.

"Remember: I love you, baby," he whispered into her ear, before kissing her cheek. She hummed.

"I love you, too," she replied. Then, feeling calm for a moment, she felt herself drift off to sleep. But, like the calm before the storm, the worst was yet to come.


	26. Chapter 26

Caitlin stood nervously outside of Tony's studio the next morning, trying to keep the anxiety at bay. She knew that she needed to fight back against his harassment for her own sanity, and knew that that was the only way she'd attain any form of peace. She glanced down when she felt Barry's fingers interlocking with hers', before turning her round eyes on him. He smiled at her warmly.

"Try to relax, baby," he murmured. "I'm here, and so is Oliver."

Caitlin cut her eyes to where Oliver was sitting his car, phone clutched tightly in his hand.

"As soon as I send him the signal that things have gone south, he'll be inside that building with us faster than you can blink," Barry added comfortingly.

"I still can't believe he's willingly giving up a day he could be spending with Felicity to help me," Caitlin muttered. Barry squeezed her fingers gently.

"He cares about you, as do a whole lot of other people," Barry said softly, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"I know, it's just mind boggling," she replied.

"Well, get used to it baby, we're not going anywhere," Barry promised with conviction, and Caitlin smiled, despite the fear that was swirling in her belly.

"Ready for this?" Barry asked softly, and she mustered as much as a brave grin to stretch across her face as she could.

"As I'll ever be," she said quietly. Squeezing her fingers once more, Barry opened the door, and led Caitlin into the heart of the studio, where Tony most likely was. As soon as they got there, Caitlin spotted him sipping something out of a glass occasionally, as he flickered through his photos. Barry cleared his throat, and Caitlin squared her shoulders; the time to fight had finally come. Tony looked up, and Caitlin watched as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Allen and…. I don't know your name, sweetheart," Tony drawled, and Caitlin snorted disbelievingly.

"You sure about that, Woodward?" Barry snapped, as they made their way towards him; Caitlin tightening her hold on her purse as they did do. Tony raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know what you mean by your implications, Allen, but this woman doesn't even look familiar," Tony replied, bored.

"That's interesting," Caitlin piped up, praying her voice wouldn't betray her and tremble. "I modeled for you a couple of months ago. Surely, you should remember me."

"Sweetheart, I have a lot of people model for me. But, you're right. With a face as gorgeous as yours', I certainly should remember you. I'll try to wrack my brains for a few moments, see what I come up with," he replied.

"And," Caitlin began. "While you're doing that, look at these photos, see if they help jog your memory any faster for us."

Caitlin pulled a few photos she had taken from her apartment out of her purse and thrusted them into Tony's surprised hands. He looked at her for a moment, before dropping his eyes to the photos in hands. His brow furrowed.

"These photos seem to be all of you, doing mundane things. Why on earth would they jog my memory?" Tony demanded, and Caitlin folded her arms across her chest.

"You know why, Tony. You took them," Caitlin hissed.

"I am certain you are mistaken, dear. I don't have time to take pictures of someone at the yoga studio," he remarked. He flicked through the pictures, landing on one of Barry, and Caitlin, eating lunch in the coffee shop they first met in.

"Nice coffee shop, though," he mused. "Excellent cappuccinos."

"This isn't a game, Woodward," Barry snapped, posture identical to his girlfriend's. Tony chuckled.

"Well, it seems to be a confusing matter at the least," he remarked calmly, and Caitlin so badly wanted to shout at him. She got another idea instead.

"Do you have a business card, Tony?" Caitlin asked curiously, and he furrowed his brow at her for the second time.

"Why?" Tony demanded, and Caitlin smiled politely.

"Humor me, and let me see one," she replied. Tony stared at her for a long moment, before shaking his head.

"I don't think so, and I definitely don't have to stand here and listen to this," he stated firmly, and Caitlin grinned.

"Something perturbing you, Tony? You look a little…guilty," Caitlin said quietly.

"Leave. Now." Tony icily said, and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Oh, we will, as soon as you admit to what you've been doing," she replied calmly, before pulling something from out of her pocket.

"You see, my friend, you shouldn't leave your business cards at the entrance of your studio, where anybody can grab one," she murmured, holding it up to him to see.

"Interesting signature, don't you think? Just the letter of your last name? The exact same letter that all the notes of the photos that have been sent to me have been signed with," she whispered, knowing she had got him.

Tony glanced at Barry, who was glaring at him, and seemed to know he had been caught.

"You're just so beautiful, Cait," he murmured, walking closer to her, now that the secret was out. She stepped back in response.

"Stay the hell away from me, Tony," she warned, but he wrapped his hand around her wrist, squeezing hard, as he pulled out a knife and placed it to her throat.

"Ah, ah, ah," Tony shook his head as Barry dropped his arms and made to walk towards them.

"Let her go," he hissed, hand clenching at his side. He grabbed his phone with his other.

"Hope you're not planning on reaching out to that idiot outside," Tony laughed, and Caitlin felt her heart stop.

"What'd you do?" Caitlin whispered, and Tony pulled her even tighter against his chest.

"You two thought you had it all figured out, didn't you? Figuring out who the stalker was? Well, I've been one step ahead of you the whole time. Tell me something friends, aren't you even the least bit curious as to why I'd leave my cards out in the open, for anybody to grab?" Tony asked, and Caitlin felt sweat start to pool in her palms. She looked at Barry, who looked torn, knowing he wanted to help, but not risk her getting hurt. She didn't want to risk him getting hurt, either. She inhaled shakily.

"Let's just talk about this, rationally," she tried to encourage, but Tony just laughed.

"If I wanted rationality, we wouldn't be here," he murmured.

"What do you want then, Tony?" Caitlin asked calmly.

"You." Tony nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling. She exhaled.

"Now, here's what we're going to do: Allen, you're going to sit there, and not move. Unless you want me to risk getting blood all over Caitlin's shirt here," he stated. Caitlin licked her lips nervously. Barry stared at him for a moment, before nodding his head slowly.

"Alright, Woodward. Just, don't hurt her," he implored. Tony started walking backwards, Caitlin being dragged with him.

"Barry, get Oliver," she said calmly, but Barry shook his head.

"I tried, that was five minutes ago. He should've been in here by now," he said desperately.

"What'd you do, Tony?" Caitlin demanded, as they still moved backwards.

"Just let him meet some of my friends," Tony mentioned casually. They paused at his desk, and, knife still against her throat, Tony pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and threw them at Barry.

"Lock one of your hands against that chair," he ordered. Barry didn't move, and Tony pushed the blade further into Caitlin's throat, making her gasp.

"Do it! Now!" Tony yelled, and Barry did so immediately.

"Alright, alright, don't do anything stupid," Barry implored, as he locked his wrist in place.

"Good," Tony breathed out, before walking again.


	27. Chapter 27

Tony dragged Caitlin all the way to his car, before finally stopping. Knife still pressed against her throat, he unlocked his car, and forced her into the front seat. He then walked to the drivers' seat after making sure she wasn't going to get out. Once he was inside, he looked at her.

"Time to go for a drive, Cait," he murmured, running his hand through her hair. She jerked her head back.

"Don't call me that," she hissed, and watched as his eyes narrowed.

"You'd do well to listen to me," he said softly, and she rolled her eyes.

"No," she said simply. Then, too quick to stop him, he cut her arm. Just a single cut, not deep enough to puncture anything vital, but deep enough to know it'd require stitches. She cried out. Biting her lip, she inhaled shakily through her nose, releasing the puff of air as a sigh.

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Tony," she whispered, knowing that if she wanted to survive, she'd have to play by his rules. At least, at first.

"Good girl," Tony caressed her bottom lip with his thumb, and she fought back the impulse to bite it. Refraining herself from lashing out at him, she looked around his car.

"Now what?" Caitlin asked calmly, when she couldn't find anything to help her out of her predicament. Not a weapon, not a tool that could be used to unlock the door, nothing; Tony was very thorough with making sure she would have nothing to defend herself.

"Now, we drive," Tony murmured. She felt her heart rate increase and, not wishing to go anywhere with him, she quickly shook her head.

"Or, we could stay here. Talk," she murmured, hoping to convey her wishes with the gentle tone she had adopted. Tony looked at her.

"Talk about what?" Tony asked, and Caitlin smiled gently.

"You've obviously been a fan of mine for a while. And, I'm just curious as to how long?" Caitlin asked, hoping to keep the trembling out of her voice. If she could just keep Woodward talking long enough to hatch a plan, she might just get out of the situation alive. Luckily for her, Tony took the bait.

"Alright, I'll bite. I've been a fan since your freshman year of college. You modeled for a friend of mine at the time, Peter Dunlap," Tony said quietly, and Caitlin shifted through her memories, hoping to come up with who that guy was. A moment later, she recalled his face, and nodded her head.

"I remember him," she said, and Tony smiled.

"Good girl," he praised. Caitlin watched as he lowered the knife from where it was resting against her arm, and continued to utilize his distraction in her favor.

"Did you just ask Peter for the pictures?" Caitlin asked carefully.

"He said he had photographed the most beautiful model he had ever seen, and that I needed to see the pictures for myself to understand what he meant," Tony recalled, getting lost in the memories, it seemed. Caitlin bit her lip as he cut his eyes to the road the car was parked on, and thought, now was her chance. She grabbed Woodward's wrist, and turned it sharply; he shouted out in surprise. The moment it took him to realize what she was after was all the time she needed. She forced him to drop the knife and elbowed him roughly in the nose; she smiled when she heard the satisfying crunch as the result.

"You idiot girl," Tony snapped, pinching his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

"Next time, don't let yourself get distracted from your hostage, Woodward," Caitlin hissed. She reached across him, shoving her elbow into his stomach as she did so, disarming him completely. Once her fingers touched the side of his door, she pressed down on the unlock button, and all but ripped the door off its hinges upon her haste to get out of that car and as far away from Tony Woodward as she could. Before she completely got herself free, she snagged the knife from the floorboard, then took off running, as fast as her legs would carry her.

It wasn't until she saw the back door of the building she was running towards fly open, did she smile in relief. Barry, and Oliver, were both hurtling towards her. Oliver flew past her, running straight for Tony's car as Barry caught her in his arms, and held onto her, hushing her gently.

"It's okay baby, it's okay," he murmured over and over.

Caitlin felt the shock kick in and started babbling incoherently.

"Alright, shh, you're okay, sweetheart," Barry murmured again, rubbing a soothing hand through her hair, and cradling the back of her head with his other. It was then that he noticed the cut on her arm and swore.

"You're bleeding," he hissed, but she shook her head, and took a steadying breath.

"It's alright, only requires some stitches," she murmured, before planting a kiss to his collarbone, the only spot she could reach since he was crushing her to his chest. Oliver came over just then, with Tony handcuffed.

"Are those the handcuffs he made you use?" Caitlin whispered to Barry, and he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Don't even worry about that," he murmured soothingly, and she nodded, inhaling his scent deeply; it helped ground her.

"Oliver, are you hurt?" Caitlin demanded as soon as she remembered Tony said he sent a couple of men after him.

"Not as badly as the idiots who tried to hurt me in the first place," Oliver promised quietly, and Caitlin couldn't help it, she laughed.

"The police have been called," Oliver added, and Caitlin couldn't help the relief that flooded through her. It was over, it was finally over.

XXXXX

A few hours later found Caitlin, Barry, and Oliver leaving the hospital after they had been checked over.

Cisco, bless him, had shown up as soon as the ambulance arrived, demanding to know where his friends were. Felicity wasn't too far behind him.

Before they left the hospital altogether, Caitlin was stopped by a police officer.

"Ma'am, I'm Detective Dean. I'll be handling the evidence we found at Woodward's job, and apartment," he stated, and Caitlin felt her heart stutter. As much as she had hoped that there wouldn't be any more evidence to recover, she wasn't naïve; of course, Tony would've had quite the collection of her at his apartment.

"I need to see it," she demanded immediately, and Barry squeezed her hip gently.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, babe," he murmured, but Caitlin shook her head resolutely.

"No, I need to know how far his obsession dated back to; how far it extended. I also need to know if I was the only woman," she muttered. Caitlin refused to use the word victim, not seeing herself as such. She knew she'd be traumatized from this experience, but with a little help, she'd make a full recovery.

Detective Dean nodded his head. "Alright. You can come by tomorrow, once our forensic team has swept the place for prints."

"Thank you," Caitlin murmured, before allowing Barry to lead her out of the hospital and to her home, tired from the day.


	28. Chapter 28

The next morning came too early for Caitlin, and, so it seemed, for Barry. He stretched, before nuzzling into the crook of her neck, gently tickling her while doing so.

"Babe, we've got to get up, Detective Dean will be expecting us at the apartment in an hour," she murmured, but Barry shook his head, and tightened his arm around her waist, holding her in place.

"Nope. I've decided we're not going, and you're not going to further traumatize yourself," he declared. Caitlin raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, you have?" Caitlin challenged, and he sighed.

"No, but it seemed like worth a shot," he mumbled. She laughed gently, before untangling herself from his grip.

"C'mon, shower, and a quick cup of coffee," she murmured.

XXXX

When they emerged from her bathroom half an hour later, they were completely ready. Caitlin flipped the coffee pot on, and busied herself with that for a few moments, trying to hide her shanking hands. It was only when she fumbled a coffee mug, did Barry send her a worried glance.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Barry asked softly, making his way to her. She put the coffee mug down, and tucked her hands against her chest to hide the worse of the trembling. She nodded her head.

"Fine," she murmured. Barry placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, and she leaned into the touch.

"You know, it's okay if you're not. Okay, I mean. No one would hold it against you if you weren't, not after everything you've been through," he murmured, and she closed her eyes.

"Alright, I'm feeling a bit off today," she mumbled with a sigh. He nodded his head, kissed her on the forehead once more, and pulled her into his chest.

"I sort of expected you to be that way for a while. You survived an attempted kidnapping; there's bound to be some repercussions," he said, and she nodded against his chest.

"I know," she whispered. They stood in their embrace until the coffee pot beeped, alerting them back to their surroundings, and out of the safety bubble Caitlin found herself cocooned inside of.

She sighed as she pulled away first. She willed her hands to stop trembling as she poured them both a mug of coffee to go. When that simple task was done, (although, it seemed incredibly challenging to Caitlin), she jerked her head towards her door.

"Let's go," she murmured, and Barry interlocked his fingers with her, and led the way out.

XXXXX

Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up to the address Dean had given Caitlin. The apartment complex itself was mesmerizing; it took Caitlin's breath away.

"Doesn't seem fair that such a beautiful complex harbored a creep," she muttered as they made their way to the fourth floor.

Barry chuckled. "Took the words right out of my mouth, baby."

When they reached the fourth floor, it wasn't hard to spot which apartment was Tony's; there was yellow police tape crossing the door, and two officers stood on either side of it. Caitlin made her way to them.0000

"Ms. Snow?" One asked, and she nodded her head.

"I'm Stan, and this is my partner Jim. Dean's cleared it for you and Barry to already go in," Stan said, and Caitlin smiled politely at them.

"Thank you," she murmured, getting ready to duck under the tape. Stan's hand to her shoulder stop her and she looked at him curiously.

"Don't want to spook you, ma'am, but there's quite the…collection in there. Prepare yourself for that," Stan stated, and, heart in her throat, Caitlin nodded her head. Then, she and Barry ducked under the tape and walked into Tony's apartment for the first time. Caitlin's jaw dropped, and Barry seethed

There were hundreds of photos covering every inch of his apartment, all of her. She looked at them, recognizing some from different shoots she did; others were just her doing simple things, like shopping, or yoga. Every bit of safety and privacy she felt flew right out the window as she got a look at how deep Tony's obsession was. There were pictures with Barry in them, and pictures with her other friends. What really got to her were the pictures from Barry's photoshoot.

"He was there that day," she murmured, tilting her head towards the winter wonderland photos Barry had taken. Barry narrowed his eyes as he studied them, then looked around once again.

"And pictures from the carnival," Barry said darkly, and Caitlin felt fear bubble up in her belly as she looked for those photos. Once she spotted them, she couldn't stop staring. Barry seemed to feel how she tensed because he placed his hands on either side of her face.

"Look at me, baby," he murmured, and Caitlin exhaled shakily as she tore her eyes off a photo of Barry trying to win her a stuffed animal, and looked at him.

"These photos mean nothing, Cait, absolutely nothing," Barry said softly.

"But," she began, but Barry interrupted her.

"Nothing," he reiterated, and she sensed he had seen where her thoughts were taking her. Down a road of guilt for getting Barry dragged into this. She hung her head.

"You listen to me, Caitlin Snow," Barry said in an eerily calm voice, and she looked up.

"This is not your fault, baby. You did nothing to warrant this type of harassment. And, I wouldn't care if I am in these pictures; at the end of the day, I'd still choose to be with you," he said with conviction. She stared at him, trying to detect any hints of dishonesty. There was none to be detected, and she nodded slowly a moment later.

"You hear me?" Barry asked softly.

"I hear you," she whispered, and he kissed her. Just then, Dean walked up to them.

"Ms. Snow," he said, and she smiled slightly.

"Caitlin, please," she murmured.

"My apologies, Caitlin," Dean corrected himself, then sighed. "I hate for you to have to see these photos, but the good part from all of this is we have enough evidence for a jury to convict him for a long time. New York doesn't take kindly to stalkers."

Caitlin nodded her head and smiled as much as she could.

"Add into the fact that he attempted to kidnapped you twice, and you got hurt both times, he's looking at some serious jail time," Dean added, and that soothed the nerves Caitlin felt.

"Thank you," she murmured. Dean cleared his throat.

"This isn't the first stalking case I've had, and I tell each of the people I see the same thing: talk to someone about it. I get it if you don't want to see a professional, but don't shut out your family or friends. Let them in; they ain't going anywhere," he stated.

Barry kissed her temple gently. "He's right, we're not. Don't shut us out. Don't shut me out."

Caitlin smiled. "I won't."

They didn't stay long after that. Caitlin just wanted to go out with her friends, clear her mind for a bit. Luckily for her, Felicity and Oliver had already ordered a bunch of take out from her favorite Chinese restaurant, so they were going to meet them at their place.

Before they got out the door completely, Dean's voice stopped them, and they turned to look at him.

"You're going to be alright, Caitlin," he smiled kindly, and she returned it before leaving. He was right. She was going to be alright.


	29. Chapter 29

Caitlin studied her friends, feeling at peace for the first time in a long time. She knew that, while on the road to recovery, she had a great group of people surrounding her. A great fiancé who loved her and great friends who would do anything to make sure she never felt as scared or isolated as she had since Tony's true intentions first floated to the surface. She sat there, taking in her family, and feeling content.

"Are you alright?" Barry murmured lowly into her ear. So low, that no one else could hear. She turned her face towards him, brushing her lips gently across his.

"I'm fine," she replied gently. She knew, that while still worried, they weren't going to have to be looking over their shoulders anymore; that the danger had passed. That thought left her utterly content. Just then, Cisco walked back in, arms loaded down with bags of food.

"Did your boy get the job done, or what?" Cisco asked happily, and Caitlin grinned at me.

"You definitely got the job done," she replied. She stood up from where she had been sitting on the couch and went and helped Cisco hand out the food. After everyone had their share, Cisco pulled her off to the side.

"I'm proud of you, you know that?" Cisco asked quietly, and Caitlin quirked an eyebrow at him, indicating that he should continue.

"You had a lot of stuff thrown your way this year, Caitlin," he said. "And, you handled each of it head on and with grace. Hence the "I'm proud of you" comment."

Caitlin through his words through, smiling at her friend warmly when she realized he was right.

"Thanks," she replied quietly, and he bumped his shoulder with hers'. Then, she went to go sit by her fiancé. When she sat down, he pulled her into his side.

"I'm proud of you, too," he said softly, and she chuckled.

"Thank you. I couldn't have gotten through all of it without you guys," she said honestly.

"Give yourself some credit, sweetheart," Barry murmured. She looked at him, wondering, not for the first time, how she had gotten so lucky in her life. She nodded her head, feeling her heart expand with the amount of love and adoration she had for him, and smiled.

"I love you," she said quietly.

"And, I love you," he said, tone soft. Then, squeezing her hand, they carried onwards to their future, hearts utterly content and at peace. Everything was as it should be.

Fin.

Author's note: Just wanted to say thanks to all you followed this story. Means a lot. Xxx


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